Taxon Report

Eriogonum hirtellum J.T. Howell & Bacig.

Klamath Mountain buckwheat

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Eriogonum hirtellum, commonly known as Klamath Mountain buckwheat, is a perennial rhizomatous herb in the Polygonaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, and Upper montane coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 610 to 1900 meters. Eriogonum hirtellum is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Eriogonum hirtellum J.T. Howell & Bacig.
Common Name:	Klamath Mountain buckwheat
Family:	Polygonaceae
Element Code:	PDPGN082T0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ERHI7
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial rhizomatous herb
Blooming Period: Jul-Sep	Jul-Sep
Elevation:	610-1900 (2000-6235)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Lower montane coniferous forest, Upper montane coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Serpentine
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.3
Global Rank:	G2G3
State Rank:	S2S3
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_UCSC; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	30
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	5
Good (B)	6
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	17

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT), Siskiyou (SIS)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Bear Peak (4112365), Deadman Point (4112384), Figurehead Mtn. (4112383), Hamburg (4112371), Happy Camp (4112374), Polar Bear Mtn. (4112385), Preston Peak (4112375), Scott Bar (4112361)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	7
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	12	40 %
Logging	7	23%
Road/trail construction/maint.	5	16%
Improper burning regime	2	6%
Other	2	6%
ORV activity	1	3%
Erosion/runoff	1	3%
Grazing	1	3%

Notes



Threatened by vehicles. Possibly threatened by logging and grazing. Klamath NF has adopted species management guidelines. See Leaflets of Western Botany 9:174-176 (1961) for original description, and Phytologia 66(4):355 (1989) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Eriogonum hirtellum account for potential Species of Conservation Concern evaluation (2021)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 3 November 2025].