''Eriogonum cithariforme'' is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name cithara buckwheat. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Transverse Ranges The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of Southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie within Santa Ba ...

and Southern Outer

California Coast Ranges The Coast Ranges of California span from Del Norte County, California, Del Norte or Humboldt County, California, south to Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara County. The other three coastal California mountain ranges are the Trans ...

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

. It grows in sandy areas in a number of local habitat types, such as

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

Description

''Eriogonum cithariforme'' is an annual herb growing up to about half a meter in maximum height with a spreading or erect flowering stem with many upcurved branches. The wavy, woolly leaves are round to oval in shape and are mainly located about the base of the stem. They are greenish in colour. The

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

is lined with many clusters of white to pinkish flowers with a dark central stripe. At 3-4mm in size these flowers are large compared to most other genus members. In younger plants inflorescence clusters are limited to branch junctions, but in age clusters are born along the upper stem as well.

External links

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Jepson Manual Treatment of ''Eriogonum cithariforme''cithariforme'' — Photo gallery
cithariforme Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains Natural history of the Transverse Ranges Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Polygonaceae-stub