Taxon Report

Eriogonum ochrocephalum S. Watson var. ochrocephalum

ochre-flowered buckwheat

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Taxon Summary

Eriogonum ochrocephalum var. ochrocephalum, commonly known as ochre-flowered buckwheat, is a perennial herb in the Polygonaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1200 to 2410 meters. Eriogonum ochrocephalum var. ochrocephalum is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Eriogonum ochrocephalum S. Watson var. ochrocephalum
Common Name:	ochre-flowered buckwheat
Family:	Polygonaceae
Element Code:	PDPGN084C6
USDA Plants Symbol:	EROCO2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Jun	May-Jun
Elevation:	1200-2410 (3935-7905)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Clay (sometimes), Volcanic (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5T2T3
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	6
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	6

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Plumas (PLU)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Seven Lakes Mtn. (3911988), Beckwourth Pass (3912071), Calneva Lake (4012021), Constantia (3912081), Diamond Mtn. (4012036), Little Mud Flat (4012042)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	17 %
Mining	1	16%

Notes



Known in CA only from Long Valley; need quads. Threatened by mining. See Botany of California 2:480 (1880) for original description, and Phytologia 66(4):321 (1989) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 6 November 2025].