Eriogonum apricum

Eriogonum apricum is a rare species of wild buckwheat known by the common name Ione buckwheat. It is endemic to Amador County, California, in the United States. This rare plant is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, where it is known from fewer than ten occurrences in Amador County. It is named after Apricum Hill, one of its few known locations between Ione and Buena Vista. It is a state and federally listed endangered species. Ecology. This plant grows on and is named for the Ione Formation, a local geologic formation of the iron-rich oxisol soil type. It is a member of a plant community known as the Ione Manzanita Series, where it is commonly associated with the Ione manzanita (Arctostaphylos myrtifolia), another rare plant. Threats to the survival of this endangered species include agriculture, development, and erosion. Habitat destruction from the mining of common sand, silica sand, clay, and lignite is a major threat.