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Parry's buckwheat, Parry's wild buckwheat

Cusick's buckwheat, Cusick's wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, spreading, annual, 0.5–4 dm, glandular, greenish. Herbs, matted, usually not scapose, 0.3–1 × 0.5–3(–5) dm, glabrous, greenish.
Stems

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, solid, not fistulose, 0.2–0.7 dm, glandular.

spreading, with persistent leaf bases, up to 1/5 height of plant;

caudex stems matted;

aerial flowering stems rarely scapelike, erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.2–0.9 dm, glabrous, tomentose among leaves.

Leaves

basal;

petiole 1–4 cm, tomentose;

blade orbiculate to cordate, 1–3(–5) × (1.5–)2–5 (5.5) cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, less so to subglabrous and green adaxially, margins usually smooth.

basal, fasciculate in terminal tufts;

petiole 0.2–0.5 cm, tomentose;

blade narrowly oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.5–1(–1.2) × 0.15–0.25(–0.3) cm, densely white- or grayish-tomentose on both surfaces, margins plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, open to rather diffuse, often flat-topped, 3–40 × 3–100 cm;

branches glandular;

bracts scalelike, 1–3 × 0.5–1.5 mm.

umbellate-cymose to cymose, rarely capitate, 3–5 × 3–5 cm;

branches dichotomous, glabrous, rarely absent;

bracts 3, triangular, scalelike, 0.5–1 mm.

Peduncles

absent or deflexed, straight, stoutish, 0.1–1.5 cm, glandular.

absent.

Involucres

turbinate to campanulate, 1–2.5 × 1.5–2.5 mm, glandular;

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–1 mm.

1 per node, rarely 2–5, turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 2–3 × 2–3 mm, rigid, glabrous;

teeth 6–8, erect, 0.8–1.4 mm.

Flowers

1–2.5 mm;

perianth white with greenish or reddish midribs, becoming reddish, glabrous;

tepals dimorphic, those of outer whorl ovate to oblong and often auriculate proximally, those of inner whorl usually lanceolate;

stamens included to exserted, 1.5–2.5 mm;

filaments glabrous or pilose proximally.

2–2.5(–3) mm;

perianth yellow, glabrous;

tepals connate proximally, monomorphic, oblong;

stamens exserted, 2–3 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

brown to black, lenticular to 3-gonous, 1.5–2 mm, glabrous.

light brown, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum brachypodum

Eriogonum cusickii

Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly washes, flats, and slopes, saltbush, creosote bush, greasewood, mesquite, blackbrush, and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands Sandy, volcanic flats, mixed grassland and sagebrush communities, montane conifer woodlands
Elevation 100-2300 m (300-7500 ft) 1300-1500 m (4300-4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum brachypodum is variable in overall shape, peduncle length, and shape and size of involucres and flowers. Spreading plants with longish peduncles and narrow involucres occur in southwestern Utah and adjacent portions of Nevada and Arizona; this is the “parryi” phase of the species. Typical E. brachypodum is low and flat-topped, with the inflorescence up to 10 dm across. The involucres are usually sessile and campanulate rather than turbinate. The two phases intergrade completely and a taxonomic distinction is not warranted. Dried plants of the typical phase often are used as decorations.

The species is common and even weedy in places. It occurs from Churchill and Pershing counties, Nevada, south through Mono and Inyo counties to eastern Kern and San Bernardino counties, California, then eastward through Nevada (Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, and Nye counties) into southwestern Utah (Beaver and Washington counties) and northwestern Arizona (Mohave County). It is much more common in the Mojave Desert than in the Great Basin.

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

Of conservation concern.

Eriogonum cusickii is fairly common in scattered portions of Deschutes, Harney, Klamath, and Lake counties. It is gradually being introduced into cultivation.

Eriogonum prociduum is distinct from E. cusickii, but some populations of the latter in Lake County, Oregon, south of Christmas Valley and northwest of Wagontire, have capitate inflorescences even in fruit. These plants differ from typical E. prociduum by consistently having small, rather narrow leaf blades (3–6 × 1–4 mm) that sheath up the flowering stems.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 396. FNA vol. 5, p. 277.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla
Sibling taxa
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. 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. 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
Synonyms E. deflexum subsp. brachypodum, E. deflexum var. brachypodum, E. deflexum subsp. parryi, E. parryi E. chrysocephalum subsp. cusickii
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 180. (1870) M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 11: 10. (1903)
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