Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium
California buckwheat, eastern Mojave buckwheat, Mojave desert California buckwheat
thinly tomentose to canescent, rarely glabrous.
blade usually oblanceolate, 0.6–1.8 × (0.1–)0.2–0.6 cm, canescent on both surfaces or densely grayish-tomentose abaxially and canescent adaxially, margins plane or infrequently revolute.
capitate to cymose-umbellate, rarely cymose;
branches tomentose to canescent, rarely glabrous.
turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 2.5–3.5 × 2–3 mm, canescent.
pubescent.
= 40.
Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium
Variety polifolium is a widespread, common to abundant, or occasionally dominant shrub of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in Arizona, southern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. This is the common tetraploid expression of the species. It is occasionally planted as an ornamental in the more arid regions of the American Southwest.
Plants were used by several groups of Native Americans as a medicinal plant to treat a variety of symptoms (D. E. Moerman 1986). It was used also in the practice of witchcraft by the Navajo, in a potion against evil spells.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
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USDA Plants Database
