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Parry's buckwheat, Parry's wild buckwheat

divergent buckwheat, divergent wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, spreading, annual, 0.5–4 dm, glandular, greenish. Herbs, spreading, 1–2(–3) dm, puberulent to short-pilose, greenish to reddish.
Stems

caudex absent;

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

aerial flowering stems decumbent to spreading, 0.3–0.5 dm, puberulent to short-pilose.

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 and cauline;

basal: petiole 1–4(–5) cm, puberulent to short-pilose, blade elliptic-oblong to orbiculate, 1–2(–2.5) × 1–2(–2.5) cm, puberulent to short-pilose and green on both surfaces;

cauline: petiole (0–)0.1–2 cm, puberulent to short-pilose, absent distally, blades opposite, oblanceolate to oblong or elliptic, 0.3–1(–1.5) × 0.2–0.8(–1.2) cm, similar to basal blade.

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.

cymose, distally uniparous due to suppression of secondary branches, diffuse, 5–25 × 10–45 cm;

branches puberulent;

bracts 1–3(–5) × 1–2 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.

somewhat appressed to branches, campanulate, 1–2 × 1–2 mm, pilose;

teeth 5, lobelike, spreading to somewhat reflexed, 0.7–1.5 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.

(1–)1.5–2 mm;

perianth yellow, rarely pale yellow, hispidulous and glandular with yellowish-white hairs;

tepals monomorphic, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate;

stamens included, 0.7–1.5 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

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

light brown, 3-gonous, 1.5–2 mm.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum brachypodum

Eriogonum divaricatum

Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly washes, flats, and slopes, saltbush, creosote bush, greasewood, mesquite, blackbrush, and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands Heavy clay flats and slopes, saltbush, greasewood, and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands
Elevation 100-2300 m (300-7500 ft) 1100-2300(-2500) m (3600-7500(-8200) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Eriogonum divaricatum basically is a species of the Colorado Plateau of southwestern Wyoming (Sublette, Sweetwater, and Uinta counties), eastern Utah (Carbon, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Kane, San Juan, Sevier, and Wayne counties), western Colorado (Mesa and Montezuma counties), northern Arizona (Apache, Coconino, and Navajo counties), and northwestern New Mexico (McKinley and San Juan counties), where it is infrequent to common but only rarely abundant. There are several disjunct populations well removed from that core area; the species occurs in Beaver and Millard counties of west-central Utah, and in Clayhole Valley, Mohave County, Arizona. In New Mexico, it was found around San Ysidro, Sandoval County, in 1926. The most extreme disjunctions were two populations found in Argentina during the growing season of 1899–1900. Those plants were named Eriogonum ameghinoi Spegazzini, which ultimately became the only species of the genus Sanmartinia M. Buchinger. Probably introduced there by migrating birds, the species did not persist in South America (J. L. Reveal 1981b).

The divergent wild buckwheat was used ceremonially by the Navajo (Diné) people in one of their snake dances, and portions of the plant were smoked in the treatment of snakebite (A. Clifford, pers. comm.; L. C. Wyman and S. K. Harris 1951).

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 396. FNA vol. 5, p. 429.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Oregonium
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. cusickii, E. darrovii, E. dasyanthemum, E. davidsonii, E. deflexum, E. deserticola, E. desertorum, E. diatomaceum, E. diclinum, 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
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 180. (1870) Hooker: Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 5: 265. (1853)
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