Photographer: Stu Witmer

Summary Author: Stu Witmer

The cinder hills of Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho are the perfect place for dwarf buckwheat. These tiny plants grow to a height of about four inches. Their root system, however, can stretch as far as three feet. This extensive root system comes in handy in the semi arid places favored by the plant and allows it to gather water that other plants cannot reach. In the photo above you can get a good idea of the size of the root system by the amount of space between plant tops on the cinder surface. The inset shows a single plant close up.

Photo details: Nikon E5700, 1/270 second at f/2.8, ISO 100, focal length 8.9 mm. Inset: 1/390 second at f/4.2, ISO 100, focal length 284.8 mm. Date: August 31, 2007. Adobe Photoshop CS2.