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bitterroot buckwheat, bitterroot wild buckwheat, golden buckwheat, golden wild buckwheat, one-eyed wild buckwheat

flat top buckwheat, flat-top wild buckwheat, flatcrown buckwheat, flatcrown wild buckwheat, skeleton weed

Habit Herbs, matted, scapose, 0.2–1 × 0.5–2 dm, floccose to tomentose, greenish. Herbs, erect to spreading, annual, (0.5–)1–10(–20) dm, glabrous, occasionally glaucous, greenish to grayish.
Stems

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

caudex stems matted;

aerial flowering stems scapelike, erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.2–1 dm, floccose to tomentose.

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, solid or occasionally hollow and fistulose, 0.3–3(–4) dm, glabrous, occasionally glaucous.

Leaves

basal, fasciculate in terminal tufts;

petiole 0.2–0.5(–0.8) cm, tomentose;

blade oblanceolate to spatulate, (0.5–)0.7–1 × 0.2–0.4(–0.5) cm, densely white- or grayish-tomentose on both surfaces, margins plane.

basal;

petiole 1–7 cm, usually floccose;

blade cordate to reniform or nearly orbiculate, 1–2.5(–4) × 2–4(–5) cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, less so to floccose or subglabrous and grayish to greenish adaxially, margins entire.

Inflorescences

capitate, 0.5–1.5 cm wide;

branches absent;

bracts 3–5, scalelike, triangular, 1–2 mm.

cymose, open to diffuse, flat-topped, spreading, hemispheric or narrowly erect and strict with whiplike branches, 10–90(–180) × 5–50 cm;

branches glabrous, occasionally glaucous;

bracts 3, scalelike, 1–3 × 0.5–1.5 mm.

Peduncles

absent.

absent or deflexed, rarely some ± erect distally, straight, slender to stout, 0.1–1.5 cm, glabrous.

Involucres

3–5 per cluster, turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 2.5–3(–3.5) × 2.5–3 mm, membranous, glabrous, sparsely floccose on teeth;

teeth 5, erect, 0.6–1.2 mm.

narrowly turbinate to turbinate, 1.5–2.5(–3) × 1–2.5 mm, glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, (0.2–)0.5–1 mm.

Flowers

(2–)2.5–3 mm;

perianth yellow, sparsely glandular, infrequently glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/3, monomorphic, oblong to narrowly obovate;

stamens exserted, 2–2.5(–3) mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

1–2.5 mm;

perianth white to pink, with greenish to reddish midribs, becoming pinkish to reddish, glabrous;

tepals dimorphic, those of outer whorl oblong or cordate to ovate, those of inner whorl lanceolate to narrowly ovate;

stamens included, 1–1.5 mm;

filaments glabrous or sparsely pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous except for minutely bristly beak.

brown to dark brown, 3-gonous, (1.5–)2–3 mm, glabrous.

Eriogonum chrysops

Eriogonum deflexum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Gravelly basaltic or rhyolitic slopes and outcrops, sagebrush communities
Elevation 1200-1400 m (3900-4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; UT; including Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Eriogonum chrysops is known from five scattered sites in the Skull Creek area of Malheur County. It is no longer considered a candidate for threatened status under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. However, it still is considered a “threatened” species by the state of Oregon.

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Eriogonum deflexum is common and often weedy throughout most of its range. It is an important source of small seed for birds. The reported use of the stem (M. L. Zigmond 1981, as E. insigne) by the Kawaiisu people as a smoking pipe is incorrect; the taxon in point was actually E. deflexum var. baratum. The desert metalmark butterfly (Apodemia mormo deserti) is found in association with E. deflexum.

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

Key
1. Involucres (2-)2.5-3 mm, narrowly turbinate; peduncles (0.3-)0.5-1.5 cm; stems fistulose; s and ec California, s Nevada
var. baratum
1. Involucres 1.5-2.5 mm, turbinate; peduncles absent or 0.1-0.5 cm; stems not fistulose; Arizona, s and ec California, Nevada, sw New Mexico, w Utah
→ 2
2. Tepals cordate to ovate; Arizona, s Califonia, s Nevada, sw New Mexico, w Utah
var. deflexum
2. Tepals oblong; ec California, Nevada
var. nevadense
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 281. FNA vol. 5, p. 394.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla 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. 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. 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. 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. deflexum var. baratum, E. deflexum var. deflexum, E. deflexum var. nevadense
Synonyms E. ochrocephalum subsp. chrysops, E. ovalifolium var. chrysops
Name authority Rydberg: Fl. Rocky Mts., 220, 1061. (1917) Torrey: in J. C. Ives, Rep. Colorado R. 4: 24. (1861)
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