Taxon Report

Eriogonum ovalifolium Nutt. var. monarchense D.A. York

Monarch buckwheat

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Eriogonum ovalifolium var. monarchense, commonly known as Monarch buckwheat, is a perennial herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Mojavean desert scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1800 to 1815 meters. Eriogonum ovalifolium var. monarchense is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Eriogonum ovalifolium Nutt. var. monarchense D.A. York
Common Name:	Monarch buckwheat
Family:	Polygonaceae
Element Code:	PDPGN084FJ
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Jun-Aug	Jun-Aug
Elevation:	1800-1815 (5905-5955)
General Habitats:	Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Carbonate, Rocky (sometimes), Sandy (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:	decomposed carbonate

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G5T1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	USFS_S
CRPR Changes:	changed from 1B.3 to 1B.1 on 2004-07-13

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Fresno (FRE)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Wren Peak (3611877)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	2
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	100 %
Insufficient population/stand size	1	100%
Non-native plant impacts	1	100%

Notes



Known from only one occurrence in the Kings River drainage basin. Threatened by non-native plants. Not in The Jepson Manual. See Madroño 49(1):16 (2002) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

CRPR List Addition on 2004-07-13

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 29 October 2025].