The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

wing buckwheat, wing wild buckwheat

red buckwheat

Habit Herbs, monocarpic, 5–20(–25) dm, strigose or glabrous; taproot often chambered.
Stems

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems usually 1, not fistulose, 2–13 dm, strigose or glabrous.

Leaves

basal and sometimes cauline;

basal petiolate, petiole 2–6 cm, stigose to woolly or glabrous, blade linear-lanceolate or lanceolate to oblanceolate to spatulate, (3–)5–20 × 0.3–2 cm, strigose, becoming glabrous and green on both surfaces except for margins and midvein;

cauline sessile, blade linear-oblanceolate to lanceolate, 1–9 × 0.3–0.8(–1) cm, similar to basal blade.

Inflorescences

2–10 dm;

branches strigose or glabrous;

bracts semileaflike proximally, linear to linear-lanceolate, 2–9 × 1–3 mm, scalelike distally, triangular, 0.8–5 × 0.5–2 mm.

Peduncles

erect, straight or curving upward, 0.5–3.5 cm, strigose or glabrous.

Involucres

turbinate to campanulate, 2–4(–4.5) × 2–4(–4.5) mm, strigose or glabrous;

teeth 1–1.8 mm.

Flowers

1.5–2.5 mm in anthesis, 3–6 mm in fruit;

perianth yellow to yellowish green, rarely maroon in anthesis, often reddish or maroon in fruit, glabrous;

tepals lanceolate;

stamens 1.5–3 mm;

filaments glabrous.

Achenes

yellowish green to reddish brown, 5–9 mm, glabrous, 3-winged entire length, beakless.

Eriogonum alatum

Eriogonum atrorubens

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; TX; UT; WY; including Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; including n Mexico
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The mature reddish roots of Eriogonum alatum can be distinctively chambered. The Navajo (Diné) people consider the species to be a “life medicine” (L. C. Wyman and S. K. Harris 1951), using a mixture of shredded roots and water primarily to treat internal ailments. The species is used also as a ceremonial medicine (P. A. Vestal 1952). The Zuni use it as an emetic for stomachaches (S. Camazine and R. A. Bye 1980).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 5 (1 in the flora).

All five varieties occur in northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, Sonora, and Zacatecas) in oak and conifer woodlands, commonly above 2200 m elevation. In addition to var. atrorubens (including var. psuedociliatum Reveal), they are var. auritulum W. J. Hess & Reveal, var. intonsum Reveal, var. nemorosum W. J. Hess & Reveal, and var. rupestre (S. Stokes) W. J. Hess & Reveal.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches usually strigose; peduncles strigose or nearly so; involucres strigose, rarely glabrous; plants 5-13(-17) dm; n Arizona, Colorado, w Kansas, sw Nebraska, New Mexico, w Texas, e Utah, se Wyoming
var. alatum
1. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches glabrous or nearly so; peduncles glabrous, occasionally slightly strigose; involucres glabrous; plants 10-20(-25) dm; ne New Mexico, w Oklahoma, n Texas
var. glabriusculum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 379. FNA vol. 5, p. 377.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Pterogonum Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Pterogonum
Sibling taxa
E. abertianum, E. acaule, E. aliquantum, E. allenii, E. alpinum, E. ammophilum, E. ampullaceum, E. androsaceum, E. anemophilum, E. angulosum, E. annuum, E. apiculatum, E. apricum, E. arborescens, E. arcuatum, E. aretioides, E. argillosum, E. argophyllum, E. arizonicum, E. artificis, E. atrorubens, E. baileyi, E. batemanii, E. bicolor, E. bifurcatum, E. brachyanthum, E. brachypodum, E. brandegeei, E. breedlovei, E. brevicaule, E. butterworthianum, E. caespitosum, E. capillare, E. cernuum, E. chrysops, E. cinereum, E. cithariforme, E. clavatum, E. clavellatum, E. codium, E. collinum, E. coloradense, E. compositum, E. concinnum, E. congdonii, E. contiguum, E. contortum, E. correllii, E. corymbosum, E. covilleanum, E. crocatum, E. cronquistii, E. crosbyae, E. cusickii, E. darrovii, E. dasyanthemum, E. davidsonii, E. deflexum, E. deserticola, E. desertorum, E. diatomaceum, E. diclinum, E. divaricatum, E. douglasii, E. eastwoodianum, E. effusum, E. elatum, E. elegans, E. elongatum, E. ephedroides, E. eremicola, E. eremicum, E. ericifolium, E. esmeraldense, E. evanidum, E. exaltatum, E. exilifolium, E. fasciculatum, E. flavum, E. fusiforme, E. giganteum, E. gilmanii, E. glandulosum, E. gordonii, E. gossypinum, E. gracile, E. gracilipes, E. gracillimum, E. grande, E. greggii, E. gypsophilum, E. havardii, E. heermannii, E. helichrysoides, E. hemipterum, E. heracleoides, E. hieracifolium, E. hirtellum, E. hirtiflorum, E. hoffmannii, E. holmgrenii, E. hookeri, E. howellianum, E. hylophilum, E. incanum, E. inerme, E. inflatum, E. intrafractum, E. jamesii, E. jonesii, E. kelloggii, E. kennedyi, E. kingii, E. lachnogynum, E. lancifolium, E. latens, E. latifolium, E. lemmonii, E. leptocladon, E. leptophyllum, E. libertini, E. lobbii, E. loganum, E. lonchophyllum, E. longifolium, E. luteolum, E. maculatum, E. mancum, E. marifolium, E. mensicola, E. microthecum, E. mitophyllum, E. mohavense, E. molestum, E. mortonianum, E. multiflorum, E. natum, E. nealleyi, E. nervulosum, E. nidularium, E. niveum, E. nortonii, E. novonudum, E. nudum, E. nummulare, E. nutans, E. ochrocephalum, E. ordii, E. ostlundii, E. ovalifolium, E. palmerianum, E. panamintense, E. panguicense, E. parishii, E. parvifolium, E. pauciflorum, E. pelinophilum, E. pendulum, E. pharnaceoides, E. plumatella, E. polycladon, E. polypodum, E. prattenianum, E. prociduum, E. pulchrum, E. pusillum, E. pyrolifolium, E. racemosum, E. reniforme, E. ripleyi, E. rixfordii, E. robustum, E. rosense, E. roseum, E. rotundifolium, E. rubricaule, E. rupinum, E. salicornioides, E. saxatile, E. scabrellum, E. scopulorum, E. shockleyi, E. siskiyouense, E. smithii, E. soliceps, E. soredium, E. spathulatum, E. spectabile, E. spergulinum, E. sphaerocephalum, E. strictum, E. subreniforme, E. suffruticosum, E. temblorense, E. tenellum, E. ternatum, E. terrenatum, E. thomasii, E. thompsoniae, E. thornei, E. thurberi, E. thymoides, E. tiehmii, E. tomentosum, E. trichopes, E. tripodum, E. truncatum, E. tumulosum, E. twisselmannii, E. umbellatum, E. ursinum, E. vestitum, E. villiflorum, E. vimineum, E. viridescens, E. viridulum, E. viscidulum, E. visheri, E. watsonii, E. wetherillii, E. wootonii, E. wrightii, E. zionis
E. abertianum, E. acaule, E. alatum, E. aliquantum, E. allenii, E. alpinum, E. ammophilum, E. ampullaceum, E. androsaceum, E. anemophilum, E. angulosum, E. annuum, E. apiculatum, E. apricum, E. arborescens, E. arcuatum, E. aretioides, E. argillosum, E. argophyllum, E. arizonicum, E. artificis, E. baileyi, E. batemanii, E. bicolor, E. bifurcatum, E. brachyanthum, E. brachypodum, E. brandegeei, E. breedlovei, E. brevicaule, E. butterworthianum, E. caespitosum, E. capillare, E. cernuum, E. chrysops, E. cinereum, E. cithariforme, E. clavatum, E. clavellatum, E. codium, E. collinum, E. coloradense, E. compositum, E. concinnum, E. congdonii, E. contiguum, E. contortum, E. correllii, E. corymbosum, E. covilleanum, E. crocatum, E. cronquistii, E. crosbyae, E. cusickii, E. darrovii, E. dasyanthemum, E. davidsonii, E. deflexum, E. deserticola, E. desertorum, E. diatomaceum, E. diclinum, E. divaricatum, E. douglasii, E. eastwoodianum, E. effusum, E. elatum, E. elegans, E. elongatum, E. ephedroides, E. eremicola, E. eremicum, E. ericifolium, E. esmeraldense, E. evanidum, E. exaltatum, E. exilifolium, E. fasciculatum, E. flavum, E. fusiforme, E. giganteum, E. gilmanii, E. glandulosum, E. gordonii, E. gossypinum, E. gracile, E. gracilipes, E. gracillimum, E. grande, E. greggii, E. gypsophilum, E. havardii, E. heermannii, E. helichrysoides, E. hemipterum, E. heracleoides, E. hieracifolium, E. hirtellum, E. hirtiflorum, E. hoffmannii, E. holmgrenii, E. hookeri, E. howellianum, E. hylophilum, E. incanum, E. inerme, E. inflatum, E. intrafractum, E. jamesii, E. jonesii, E. kelloggii, E. kennedyi, E. kingii, E. lachnogynum, E. lancifolium, E. latens, E. latifolium, E. lemmonii, E. leptocladon, E. leptophyllum, E. libertini, E. lobbii, E. loganum, E. lonchophyllum, E. longifolium, E. luteolum, E. maculatum, E. mancum, E. marifolium, E. mensicola, E. microthecum, E. mitophyllum, E. mohavense, E. molestum, E. mortonianum, E. multiflorum, E. natum, E. nealleyi, E. nervulosum, E. nidularium, E. niveum, E. nortonii, E. novonudum, E. nudum, E. nummulare, E. nutans, E. ochrocephalum, E. ordii, E. ostlundii, E. ovalifolium, E. palmerianum, E. panamintense, E. panguicense, E. parishii, E. parvifolium, E. pauciflorum, E. pelinophilum, E. pendulum, E. pharnaceoides, E. plumatella, E. polycladon, E. polypodum, E. prattenianum, E. prociduum, E. pulchrum, E. pusillum, E. pyrolifolium, E. racemosum, E. reniforme, E. ripleyi, E. rixfordii, E. robustum, E. rosense, E. roseum, E. rotundifolium, E. rubricaule, E. rupinum, E. salicornioides, E. saxatile, E. scabrellum, E. scopulorum, E. shockleyi, E. siskiyouense, E. smithii, E. soliceps, E. soredium, E. spathulatum, E. spectabile, E. spergulinum, E. sphaerocephalum, E. strictum, E. subreniforme, E. suffruticosum, E. temblorense, E. tenellum, E. ternatum, E. terrenatum, E. thomasii, E. thompsoniae, E. thornei, E. thurberi, E. thymoides, E. tiehmii, E. tomentosum, E. trichopes, E. tripodum, E. truncatum, E. tumulosum, E. twisselmannii, E. umbellatum, E. ursinum, E. vestitum, E. villiflorum, E. vimineum, E. viridescens, E. viridulum, E. viscidulum, E. visheri, E. watsonii, E. wetherillii, E. wootonii, E. wrightii, E. zionis
Subordinate taxa
E. alatum var. alatum, E. alatum var. glabriusculum
E. atrorubens var. atrorubens
Synonyms Pterogonum alatum Pterogonum atrorubens
Name authority Torrey: in L. Sitgreaves, Rep. Exped. Zuni Colorado Rivers, 168, plate 8. (1853) Engelmann: in F. A. Wislizenus, Mem. Tour N. Mexico, 108. (1848)
Web links