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

angle stem buckwheat, angle-stem wild buckwheat

ladder buckwheat, ladder wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, erect to spreading, annual, 1–5(–10) dm, tomen-tose to floccose or glabrous, usually grayish. Herbs, erect, annual, (0.5–)3–6(–10) dm, glabrous, glaucous, grayish.
Stems

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, striated, angled, solid, not fistulose, 0.5–1 dm, tomentose to floccose.

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, solid, not fistulose, (0.5–)1–2 dm, glabrous.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: petiole 0.5–3 cm, mostly floccose, blade oblanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 1–4(–4.5) × (0.2–)0.5–1(–1.3) cm, tomentose abaxially, floccose or glabrate and grayish or greenish adaxially, margins crenulate;

cauline sessile, blade lanceolate to oblong, 0.5–2 × 0.3–0.8 cm, similar to basal blade.

basal;

petiole 1–10 cm, tomentose;

blade sub-cordate to orbiculate, (1.5–)2–5(–8) × (1.5–)2–5(–8) cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, floccose to subglabrous and green adaxially, margins often wavy.

Inflorescences

cymose, open, 5–80 × 10–60 cm;

branches striated, angled, sparsely tomentose to glabrate;

bracts 3, scalelike, 1–3 × 1–3 mm.

cymose, spreading when immature, quickly becoming narrowly erect and strict with whiplike branches, (5–)10–50(–80) × 10–50 cm;

branches glabrous, glaucous;

bracts 3, scalelike, 1–1.5(–2) × 0.4–1 mm.

Peduncles

erect, straight, slender, 1–2 cm, sparsely tomentose to glabrous.

absent or erect, straight, slender, 0.1–0.2 cm, glabrous.

Involucres

turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 1.5–2.5(–3) × 1.5–2.5(–3), sparsely puberulent;

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–0.6 mm.

turbinate, 2–2.5(–3) × 1.5–2.5 mm, glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.5–1.5 mm.

Flowers

1.5–1.8 mm;

perianth white to rose, without a conspicuous rose-purple spot on each outer tepal, minutely glandular-puberulent;

tepals dimorphic, those of outer whorl elliptic to obovate, sometimes inflated proximally, those of inner whorl narrowly spatulate;

stamens exserted, 2–3 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

1.5–2 mm;

perianth white with green or reddish midribs, becoming pinkish, glabrous;

tepals dimorphic, those of outer whorl oblong, those of inner whorl lanceolate;

stamens exserted, 1.5–2.5 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown to brown, 3-gonous, 1–1.5 mm, glabrous.

dark brown to blackish, 3-gonous, 2–2.5 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum angulosum

Eriogonum exaltatum

Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat Clayey flats and slopes, mixed grassland, saltbush, and chaparral communities, oak and conifer woodlands Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, saltbush, creosote bush, greasewood, blackbrush, and mesquite communities, rarely in pinyon-juniper woodlands
Elevation 0-800 m (0-2600 ft) 500-1400 m (1600-4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The name Eriogonum angulosum has been applied to all of the members of its species complex except E. gossypinum. Since the 1950s, the name consistently has been applied to plants with long, exserted stamens and strongly angled stems of the Inner Coast Ranges (Alameda and Contra Costa counties south), the western foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada (Tulare County south), and the Central Valley (San Joaquin County south). The southern edge of the range is the northern foothills of the Transverse Ranges (Ventura and Los Angeles counties). The species can be common and occasionally abundant but rarely is weedy. A mixed collection (with E. gracillimum) from Barstow, San Bernardino County (K. Brandegee s.n., May 1913, UC), and two sheets of the species from San Diego gathered by Susan Stokes apparently in 1895 (B, SD) are discounted as to location.

In late fruit, the bractlets at the base of the pedicel inside the involucres of Eriogonum angulosum often elongate and broaden into oblanceolate segments that fill the involucre. As a result, the involucre appears to have several rows of teeth. This feature may be seen also in E. viridescens, but typically the involucres there appear to have only two or three rows of teeth. This feature is seen rarely in E. maculatum.

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

Eriogonum insigne has been a troublesome taxon.  The type, collected by E. Palmer in 1876, is a curious specimen from near Paragonah in Iron County, Utah.  That expression has not been recollected and, after another frustrating review of the type material, it is now referred to E. deflexum, along with other odd specimens from southern Nevada and California that have always been difficult to assign.  As a result, the tall, upright plants with long, whiplike branches of northwestern Arizona (Mohave County), southern Nevada (northeastern Clark and southern Lincoln counties), and southwestern Utah (southwestern Washington County), are now recognized under the name E. exaltatum.  Some specimens remain problematic.  Immature plants of E. exaltatum (Goodding 2302, GH, MIN, MO, NY, RM, UC) resemble E. bifurcatum. Specimens from Eureka Valley (DeDecker 4741, NY) and western Pahrump Valley (Abrams 14248, DS, GH, NY) in Inyo County, California, appear to belong to E. exaltatum.

Like Eriogonum exaltatum, some populations of E. deflexum var. deflexum have nearly erect involucres.  The plants from the Buried Hills (Nye and Clark counties, Nevada) are particularly odd.  Single plants from a few collections in Kane County, Utah, have sessile, seemingly erect involucres in the forks of inflorescence branches.  None of these plants has the characteristic long, whiplike branches of E. exaltatum, and they are not included in E. deflexum var. deflexum. The type of E. deflexum var. rectum from San Bernardino County, California (Reveal & Broome 6385, CAS, NY, US, etc.), has individual specimens with both deflexed and somewhat erect involucres, along with whiplike branches.  Collections from Imperial and San Diego counties, previously associated with what is here termed E. exaltatum, are now considered specimens of E. deflexum.  Clearly, more work is required to understand these species fully.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 411. FNA vol. 5, p. 397.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma
Sibling taxa
E. abertianum, E. acaule, E. alatum, E. aliquantum, E. allenii, E. alpinum, E. ammophilum, E. ampullaceum, E. androsaceum, E. anemophilum, 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. 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. 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
Name authority Bentham: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 406, plate 18, fig. 1. (1836) M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 15: 61. (1929)
Web links