Eriogonum reniforme – “Kidney-Leaved Buckwheat”

Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae)
Bloom Period: Feb-Aug
Form: Annual herb
Habitat: Gravelly or sandy soils
Leaves: Kidney-shaped; basal; usually dessicated by the time flowering commences
Translation: “Eriogonum” is Greek for “woolly joint” and refers to the fuzzy-looking flowers that grow at the stem joints of some species in this genus (but not this one); “reniforme” is Latin for “kidney-shaped,” which describes the shape of the leaves.
Animal Associations: Nectar source for the endangered Mojave Dotted-Blue butterfly, and a food plant for its larvae, which are protected and tended by ants in exchange for the honeydew they secrete. Also a nectar source and larval food plant for the Small Blue butterfly. Also a host plant for the Dotted-Blue butterfly.