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Eriogonum palmerianum

Reveal

Palmer's Buckwheat

G5Secure Found in 20 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.133776
Element CodePDPGN084G0
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassDicotyledoneae
OrderPolygonales
FamilyPolygonaceae
GenusEriogonum
Other Common Names
Palmer's buckwheat (EN)
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 Date2025-05-07
Change Date2025-05-07
Edition Date2025-05-07
Edition AuthorsJohnson, J. (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
Eriogonum palmerianum is an annual herb that is widespread in a variety of habitat types in the southwestern United States. While threats are not well documented, they are likely negligible given its broad habitat preferences, broad range extent, large number of occurrences, and ability to colonize disturbed areas.
Range Extent Comments
Eriogonum palmerianum is widespread in the southwestern United States from eastern California to western Colorado and south to southern Arizona (FNA 2005). Range extent was estimated using herbarium specimens, photo-based observations, and NatureServe Network occurrence data collected between 1994 and 2025 (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Occurrences Comments
By applying a 1 km separation distance to herbarium specimens and photo-based observations documented between 1994 and 2025, it is estimated that there are more than 300 occurrences rangewide (GBIF 2025, iNaturalist 2025, RARECAT 2025, SEINet 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
Eriogonum palmerianum is potentially threatened by development, road maintenance, invasive species, and other threats in some places. However, they are considered negligible given the broad range and large number of occurrences of the species and its somewhat flexible and abundant habitat, as well as no obvious intrinsic vulnerabilities.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Eriogonum palmerianum grows in "sandy to gravelly washes, flats, and slopes, saltbush, greasewood, creosote bush, blackbrush, and sagebrush communities, pinyon and/or juniper woodlands" (FNA 2005). It is also frequently noted as growing along roadsides (SEINet 2025).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousDesert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ColoradoS2Yes
ArizonaSNRYes
IdahoS1Yes
NevadaS4Yes
UtahSNRYes
CaliforniaSNRYes
New MexicoSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undeterminedUnknownUnknown—

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Plant Characteristics
DurationANNUAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (20)
Arizona (2)
AreaForestAcres
Black CanyonPrescott National Forest10,683
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
California (4)
AreaForestAcres
Birch CreekInyo National Forest28,816
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Boundary Peak (CA)Inyo National Forest210,884
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
Nevada (12)
AreaForestAcres
Angel Peak NorthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest12,577
Angel Peak SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest6,540
Arc Dome - Secret BsnHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest74,782
Bald Mtn.Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest41,598
Boundary Peak (NV)Inyo National Forest21,851
Charleston - Macks CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,378
Lovell Summit SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,455
North StirlingHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest1,929
PotosiHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,145
Snake - Big WashHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,146
Snake - HatcheryHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest4,627
Spanish PeakHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest31,520
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
AtchinsonDixie National Forest17,655
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
References (6)
  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's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2024. Version: 1.1.1 (released Oct 01, 2024).
  6. Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet). 2025. Collections Databases. Online. Available: https://swbiodiversity.org/seinet/collections/index.php (accessed 2025).