Coast Buckwheat

Coast Buckwheat, Crissy Field, 2010.

Coast buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium) is a crucial plant for many butterfly species. It's a member of the knotweed family. Butterflies in the Lycaenidae family, which includes the Acmon blue and green hairstreak (both residents of the Presidio of SF), rely on two plant familes: knotweed and pea. The relationship between these two plant families is not totally understood, but the formula works. 

There's satisfaction in learning about nature, but even more in learning about mysteries that still exist today.