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Home/Species/ Lahontan Basin Buckwheat

Eriogonum rubricaule

Tidestrom

Lahontan Basin Buckwheat

G3Vulnerable Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G3VulnerableGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.152462
Element CodePDPGN08570
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single state or province
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderPolygonales
FamilyPolygonaceae
GenusEriogonum
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-03-14
Change Date1993-01-26
Edition Date2025-03-14
Edition AuthorsBroaddus, L. (1991), rev. Johnson, J. (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
Eriogonum rubricaule is an annual herb that is endemic to western Nevada. Threats are unknown because this annual species is tolerant of infrequent disturbances such as roadside maintenance and flash floods. Trends are difficult to determine because its populations are highly variable and poorly studied.
Range Extent Comments
Eriogonum rubricaule is endemic to western Nevada, United States, around the shorelines of the Pleistocene Lake Lahontan (Reveal 2014). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are 49 occurrences rangewide (RARECAT 2024, GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, NatureServe 2025, SEINet 2025
Threat Impact Comments
While threats are not well documented, the species is known to occur on road cuts and shoulders, and desert washes so it is apparently tolerant of intermittent disturbances such as grading and flash floods. It is likely a poor competitor against other plants since it is usually found in barren areas (NatureServe 2025) so invasive plant species that occupy its habitat will likely prevent or diminish the growth of this species. The barren clay outcrops where many populations occur can indicate the presence of valuable minerals so mining may be a concern but no large-scale projects are proposed within its habitat currently.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Eriogonum rubricaule grows in clayey, sandy or gravelly, often volcanic outcrops, washes, flats, and slopes, saltbush, greasewood, and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands (Reveal 2014).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralDesertBarrens
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN3
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
2.3 - Livestock farming & ranchingLarge (31-70%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
4 - Transportation & service corridorsRestricted (11-30%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
4.1 - Roads & railroadsRestricted (11-30%)UnknownHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesLarge - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)
8.1 - Invasive non-native/alien species/diseasesLarge - restrictedUnknownHigh (continuing)

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (1)
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Pine Grove NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest8,749
References (8)
  1. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2005. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 5. Magnoliophyta: Caryophyllidae: Caryophyllales, Polygonales, and Plumbaginales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. vii + 656 pp.
  2. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  3. iNaturalist. 2025. Online. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org (accessed 2025).
  4. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  5. NatureServe. 2025. NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia.
  6. NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2024. Version: 1.1.1 (released Oct 01, 2024).
  7. Reveal, J. 2014. Eriogonum Manual. Unpublished Draft for the 2014 Eriogonum Society Meeting.
  8. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).