Swallenia alexandrae or Eureka Valley dune grass is a rare and andangered endemic of the Eureka Valley dunes, in rhw northern part of Death Valley National Park. It grows from a long scaly rhizome higher up the slopes of this tall dune system than the Eureka Dunes evening primrose with which it is closely associated. The genus was named for Jason Richard Swallen (1903-1991), an agrostologist with the USDA.
The rhizone system of this plant is very cool. I wonder why its endangered? With a rhizone structure, you would figure it would be found in abundance, due to it being able to vegetatively propagate itself.
