Eriogonum visheri

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Eriogonum visheri
Botanical and vegetation survey of Carter County, Montana, Bureau of Land Management-administered lands (1998) (20836013681).jpg
Status TNC G3.svg
Vulnerable  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Eriogonum
Species:
E. visheri
Binomial name
Eriogonum visheri

Eriogonum visheri is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names Dakota wild buckwheat and Visher's buckwheat. It is native to the Great Plains in the United States, where it is known from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. [1] [2]

This plant is an annual herb with erect stems growing up to 10 centimeters tall. It is described as "skeletal" [2] or "skeleton-like" [3] in appearance. Leaves around the base of the plant are up to 2.5 centimeters long by 2.5 wide, and leaves higher on the stem are similar but smaller. The stems branch into an inflorescence studded with clusters of small yellowish flowers. [4] Flowering occurs in June [4] through September. [2]

The center of the plant's distribution is in South Dakota, and it extends into North Dakota and one county in Montana. [1] The species is protected on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in South Dakota. [4] It occupied badlands habitat, harsh, sparsely vegetated terrain. It is a pioneer species, growing on bare outcrops unoccupied by any other plants. The substrate experiences high rates of erosion and deposition, as well as high winds that may create blowouts in the soil. The plant has few competitors. The substrate often has little actual soil, and is more of a rock outcropping with pockets of fine entisols with little organic matter. The soils are high in calcium and sodium. The climate is characterized by wide variations in temperature and relatively little precipitation. [2]

While vegetation is sparse at these sites, associated species may include Agropyron dasystachyum , Agropyron smithii , Artemisia tridentata , Astragalus racemosus , Atriplex argentea , Atriplex nuttallii , Distichlis spicata , Eriogonum pauciflorum , Grindelia squarrosa , Gutierrezia sarothrae , Machaeranthera canescens , Melilotus officinalis , Oenethera cespitosa , Salsola iberica , and Sarcobatus vermiculatus in North Dakota. In South Dakota Agropyron trachycaulum , Artemisia cana , Atriplex canescens , Chrysothamnus nauseosus , Dyssodia papposa , Kochia scoparia , Oryzopsis hymenoides , Polygonum ramosissimum , Solanum rostratum , Sphaeralcea coccinea , and Helianthus annuus also occur. [2]

There are fewer than 100 occurrences of this species. Threats include cattle grazing and trampling, however, the plant grows at sites with little vegetation and these sites are avoided by cattle. In addition, the cattle do not seem to graze the species directly. Trampling by the animals degrades the habitat and spreads introduced species of plants. The worst invasive plants are Salsola iberica and Kochia scoparia. Mining is a potential threat, as there are deposits of coal in the area. It is not a current threat. While this plant is considered a "sensitive" species by the United States Forest Service, [4] it is no longer a candidate for federal protection. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Eriogonum</i> Genus of wild buckwheats

Eriogonum is the scientific name for a genus of flowering plants in the family Polygonaceae. The genus is found in North America and is known as wild buckwheat. This is a highly species-rich genus, and indications are that active speciation is continuing. It includes some common wildflowers such as the California buckwheat.

Eriogonum gypsophilum is a rare species of wild buckwheat known by the common names Seven River Hills buckwheat and gypsum wild buckwheat. It is endemic to the state of New Mexico in the United States, where it is known from only three sites in Eddy County. It is limited to a specific type of soil which is high in gypsum. The plant has been federally listed as a threatened species of the United States since 1981.

<i>Eriogonum pelinophilum</i> Species of wild buckwheat

Eriogonum pelinophilum is a rare species of wild buckwheat known by the common name clay-loving wild buckwheat. It is endemic to the state of Colorado in the United States, where it is known from only two counties. The most recent estimates available suggest there are 12 occurrences in existence for a total of about 278,000 individual plants in Delta and Montrose Counties. At least 7 occurrences observed in the past have not been relocated but are not yet believed extirpated. This plant is federally listed as an endangered species of the United States.

<i>Schoenocrambe argillacea</i>

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<i>Townsendia aprica</i>

Townsendia aprica is a rare species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name Last Chance Townsend daisy. It is endemic to Utah in the United States, where it is known from three counties. It faces a number of threats and it is a federally listed threatened species of the United States.

Chrysothamnus molestus is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Arizona rabbitbrush, Tusayan rabbitbrush, disturbed rabbitbrush, and stickyfruit low rabbitbrush. It is endemic to the State of Arizona in the southwestern United States, where it is known from Coconino, Apache, and Navajo Counties.

<i>Eriogonum argophyllum</i> Species of wild buckwheat

Eriogonum argophyllum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names Sulphur Hot Springs buckwheat, Silver Lake buckwheat, and Ruby Valley buckwheat. It is endemic to Nevada in the United States, where there is only one known population.

Eriogonum codium is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names basalt desert buckwheat and Umtanum Desert wild buckwheat. It is endemic to Washington in the United States, where it is known only from Hanford Reach National Monument in Benton County. It was discovered in 1995 during an inventory of the biodiversity of the monument and described to science in 1997.

Eriogonum crosbyae is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name Crosby's buckwheat. It is native to southcentral Oregon and northwestern Nevada in the United States. Some treatments include plants in Montana and Idaho as members of this species. This plant was first discovered in the Guano Valley in Lake County, Oregon, in 1978 by Bureau of Land Management botanist Virginia Crosby, and it was named for her in 1981.

Eriogonum diatomaceum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name Churchill Narrows buckwheat. It is endemic to Nevada in the United States, where it is known only from the Pine Nut Mountains in Lyon County. It is limited to the Churchill Narrows near Fort Churchill State Historic Park. This plant was discovered in 1997 and described to science in 2002.

<i>Penstemon degeneri</i>

Penstemon degeneri is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Degener's beardtongue. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it occurs in and around the Arkansas River Canyon in Fremont, Custer, and Chaffee Counties.

Trifolium thompsonii is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name Thompson's clover. It is endemic to Washington state in the United States, where it occurs in two counties. One of the largest populations occurs in the Entiat Slopes Natural Area Preserve in Chelan County.

<i>Eriogonum niveum</i> Species of wild buckwheat

Eriogonum niveum is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name snow buckwheat. It is native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, where it occurs in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

<i>Astragalus ripleyi</i> Species of legume

Astragalus ripleyi is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name Ripley's milkvetch. It is native to southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States.

<i>Cirsium perplexans</i> Species of thistle

Cirsium perplexans is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common names Rocky Mountain thistle and Adobe Hills thistle. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it occurs in the Colorado and Gunnison River Valleys in the Rocky Mountains.

<i>Atriplex nuttallii</i> Species of flowering plant

Atriplex nuttallii, also known as Nuttall's saltbush, is native to central and western North America. It has been treated by some botanists as a synonym of Atriplex canescens.

Eriogonum brandegeei is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Brandegee's buckwheat. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States, where it occurs in Fremont and Chaffee Counties.

Eriogonum coloradense is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Colorado buckwheat. It is endemic to Colorado in the United States.

<i>Salsola vermiculata</i>

Salsola vermiculata, commonly known as Mediterranean saltwort, is a perennial plant in the family Amaranthaceae. It is native to arid and semi-arid regions of the Middle East, North Africa and southern Europe where it is used as a fodder plant for livestock.

References

  1. 1 2 Eriogonum visheri. Center for Plant Conservation.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Eriogonum visheri. The Nature Conservancy.
  3. 1 2 Eriogonum visheri. North Dakota's Federally Listed Endangered, Threatened, and Candidate Species. USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Eriogonum visheri. Flora of North America.

Further reading

Ladyman, J. A. R. Eriogonum visheri A. Nelson (Visher’s buckwheat): A Technical Conservation Assessment. Prepared for the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Species Conservation Project. December 18, 2006.

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