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elegant buckwheat, elegant wild buckwheat

alpine buckwheat, alpine eriogonum, alpine wild buckwheat, dirty socks, oarleaf buckwheat, oarleaf wild buckwheat, pyrola-leaf buckwheat, pyrola-leafed wild buckwheat, Shasta buckwheat, Shasta wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, erect, 1–4 dm; glabrous, grayish. Herbs, compact or spreading, matted, 0.3–2 × 0.5–3 dm, floccose or glabrous.
Stems

aerial flowering stems erect, 0.5–1 dm, glabrous.

caudex absent or spreading;

aerial flowering stems prostrate to weakly erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, usually arising directly from a taproot, 0.3–1.5(–1.8) dm, villous to floccose or glabrous.

Leaves

basal;

petiole 0.3–3 cm, thinly tomentose;

blade oblong or rounded to subcordate, 0.3–1.5 × 0.3–1.5 cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, mostly tomentose and grayish or greenish adaxially.

basal, mostly in loose rosettes;

petiole 1–4 cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade ovate to round, 1–2.5(–4) × 0.8–2 cm, grayish- to tannish-lanate or tomentose abaxially, glabrous and green adaxially, or glabrous on both surfaces, margins entire, plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, occasionally distally uniparous due to suppression of secondary branches, open to somewhat diffuse, 5–3.5 × 5–30 cm;

branches glabrous;

bracts 0.5–2 × 1–2 mm.

capitate or umbellate, 1–3(–5) × 1–4 cm;

branches floccose or glabrous;

bracts 2, leaflike, (0.4–)1–2 × 0.1–0.2(–0.4) cm, sometimes absent immediately below involucre.

Peduncles

absent.

Involucres

somewhat appressed to branches, turbinate, 1–1.5 × 0.6–0.8 mm, glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.2–0.3 mm.

1 per node (occasionally appearing clustered), campanulate, 4–6 × (3–)4–8 mm, pilose or glabrous;

teeth 4–5, erect, 0.6–1 mm.

Flowers

1–1.5 mm;

perianth white to rose, glabrous;

tepals slightly dimorphic, those of outer whorl oblong-obovate, those of inner whorl oblong;

stamens included, 1 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

4–6 mm, including 0.1–0.2 mm stipelike base;

perianth white to rose, pilose to villous with intermixed glandular hairs abaxially;

tepals monomorphic, obovate;

stamens exserted, 4–8 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

brown, 3-gonous, 1–1.5 mm.

light brown to brown, 4–5 mm, glabrous except for pilose beak.

Eriogonum elegans

Eriogonum pyrolifolium

Phenology Flowering May–Nov.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, mixed grassland communities, oak and pine woodlands
Elevation 200-1200 m (700-3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; MT; OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum elegans is found primarily on the coastal mountains (Fresno, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, and Ventura counties). It is more slender and elegant than E. baileyi. It is rather infrequent especially near the coast, but it can be locally common to even abundant on the Inner Coast Ranges.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The taxonomic merit of the two varieties of Eriogonum pyrolifolium is dubious. Plants with both hairy and nonhairy leaves are found growing together, and yet there are many populations in which only a single expression is found.

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

Key
1. Leaf blades densely lanate to tomentose abaxially, mostly glabrous adaxially
var. coryphaeum
1. Leaf blades glabrous on both surfaces
var. pyrolifolium
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 426. FNA vol. 5, p. 374.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Oregonium 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. deserticola, E. desertorum, E. diatomaceum, E. diclinum, E. divaricatum, E. douglasii, E. eastwoodianum, E. effusum, E. elatum, 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. 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. pyrolifolium var. coryphaeum, E. pyrolifolium var. pyrolifolium
Synonyms E. baileyi subsp. elegans, E. vimineum var. elegans
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 2: 173. (1891) Hooker: Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 5: 395, plate 10. (1853)
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