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Colorado desert buckwheat, Colorado desert wild buckwheat, desert wild buckwheat

altered andesite wild buckwheat, granite buckwheat

Habit Shrubs, erect or spreading, not scapose, 6–15(–18) × 10–20(–35) dm, white-tomentose to thinly floccose, greenish or grayish. Herbs, erect, matted, 0.5–3 × 1–2 dm, tomentose to floccose.
Stems

mostly spreading, without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/2 height or more of plant;

caudex stems absent or spreading in moving sand;

aerial flowering stems spreading, slender, solid, not fistulose, 1.5–4 dm, white-tomentose to thinly floccose, occasionally glabrate and light green.

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect or nearly so, stout, solid, not fistulose, usually arising directly from a taproot, 0.5–1.2(–1.6) dm, tomentose to floccose.

Leaves

cauline, 1 per node, rarely fasciculate, quickly deciduous;

petiole (0.3–)0.5–2 cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade oblong-ovate to round-oblong or orbiculate, (0.3–)0.5–1.5(–3.5) × (0.5–)0.7–1.7(–2) cm, white-tomentose on both surfaces, margins plane, sometimes crisped.

basal, in well-defined rosettes;

petiole 1–4(–5.5) cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade ovate to obovate, 2.5–4(–5) × 1.6–2.5(–3.5) cm, densely white- to grayish- or reddish-tomentose abaxially, less so to floccose or glabrous and greenish adaxially, margins entire, plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, open, 15–90 × 20–100 cm;

branches dichotomous, white-tomentose to thinly floccose, becoming floccose or glabrate and green;

bracts 3, triangular, 0.5–1.5 mm.

2-umbellate, 5–10 × 5–10 cm;

branches tomentose to floccose;

bracts 3–5 at proximal node, leaflike, 1.5–2.5(–3.5) × 0.3–0,8(–1) cm, sometimes absent immediately below involucre.

Peduncles

absent or erect, slender, 0.1–0.5 cm, floccose to glabrate.

Involucres

1 per node, turbinate-campanulate, 1.5–2.5(–3) × 1.3–1.6(–2) mm, thinly tomentose;

teeth 4, erect, 0.3–0.5 mm.

1 per node, campanulate, 8–11(–13) × 8–12 mm, thinly tomentose to lanate;

teeth 6–10, usually lobelike, mostly reflexed, 2–6 mm.

Flowers

(2.5–)3–4(–4.5) mm;

perianth greenish yellow to yellow, silky-villous abaxially;

tepals connate proximally, monomorphic, oblong to oblong-obovate;

stamens exserted, 2.5–4 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

7–9 mm, including 0.1–0.4 mm stipelike base;

perianth creamy yellow to pale yellowish, glabrous;

tepals monomorphic, oblong-obovate;

stamens exserted, 7–9 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

brown, 3–4(–4.5) mm, glabrous except for scabrellous beak.

light brown to brown, 6–8 mm, glabrous.

Eriogonum deserticola

Eriogonum robustum

Phenology Flowering Jul–Jan. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Deep moving sand dunes and sandy flats, desert scrub communities Heavy clayey slopes, montane and subalpine conifer woodlands
Elevation -60-200 m (-200-700 ft) 1300-2000(-2500) m (4300-6600(-8200) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NV
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum deserticola is found primarily in the moving sand dunes in the southern Salton Sea basin of extreme eastern San Diego and Imperial counties, California, with small populations in Yuma County, Arizona, and Baja California and Sonora, Mexico, where the species can be locally abundant. The larger plants are continually being buried and then uncovered by moving sand, revealing slender, grotesquely twisted trunks. R. S. Felger (2000) reported seeing some of the “exposed lateral roots” being up to six or more meters in length. It appears that the leaves are frequently stripped away by wind-blown sand.

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

Of conservation concern.

Eriogonum robustum is restricted primarily to altered andesite soils in west-central Nevada, essentially at the confluence of Carson City, Lyon, Storey, and Washoe counties. There, due to the unusual soil, the plants typically occur in areas without sagebrush but among conifer species usually found at higher elevations. The species is cultivated infrequently and is a food plant for the intermediate dotted-blue butterfly (Euphilotes intermedia).

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 302. FNA vol. 5, p. 375.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Oligogonum
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. lobbii var. robustum
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 26: 125. (1891) Greene: Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 126. (1885)
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