Eriogonum fasciculatum |
Eriogonum plumatella |
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California buckwheat, California wild buckwheat, eastern Mojave buckwheat, eastern Mojave wild buckwheat |
flat top buckwheat, yucca buckwheat, yucca wild buckwheat |
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Habit | Shrubs or subshrubs, compact to spreading or rounded and more or less erect, occasionally decumbent, infrequently scapose, (1–)2–15 × 2–25(–30) dm, tomentose to canescent, floccose, or glabrous. | Shrubs, erect, not scapose, 3–10(–12) × 3–6(–8) dm, tomentose or glabrous, grayish or greenish. | ||||||||||||
Stems | sprawling or spreading to erect, often with persistent leaf bases, up to 1/2 or more height of plant; caudex stems absent or matted to spreading; aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.3–2.5(–3) dm, tomentose, canescent, or glabrous. |
erect, without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/2 or more height of plant; caudex stems absent; aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.5–2 dm, tomentose or glabrous. |
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Leaves | cauline, 1 per node or fasciculate; petiole 0.1–0.3 cm, canescent; blade linear to linear-oblanceolate or oblanceolate, 0.6–1.5(–1.8) × 0.05–0.4(–0.6) cm, white-tomentose or canescent to subglabrous abaxially, tomentose or canescent and grayish, subglabrous, or glabrous and green adaxially, margins often revolute. |
basal and cauline, 1 per node; petiole 0.1–0.5 cm, mostly tomentose; blade oblanceolate, 0.6–1.5 × 0.2–0.3 cm, tomentose on both surfaces, occasionally slightly less so adaxially, margins plane. |
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Inflorescences | cymose, infrequently cymose-umbellate or capitate, compact to open, occasionally flat-topped, 0.2–20 × 0.2–15 cm; branches dichotomous, infrequently absent, tomentose to canescent or glabrous; bracts usually 3, scalelike, triangular, and 1–3 mm, or leaflike, linear to oblanceolate, and 3–10 × 1–3 mm. |
cymose, flat-topped and in tiers, 15–40 × 15–40 cm; branches dichotomous, divaricately arranged in a zig-zag pattern, tomentose or glabrous; bracts 3, scalelike, 1–7 mm. |
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Peduncles | absent. |
absent. |
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Involucres | (1–)3–8 per cluster, turbinate to campanulate, 2–4 × 1.5–3 mm, canescent, pubescent, glabrous, or subglabrous; teeth 5, erect, 0.3–1.2 mm. |
1 per node, turbinate, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, glabrous; teeth 5, erect, 0.4–0.6 mm. |
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Flowers | 2.5–3 mm; perianth white to pinkish, glabrous or pubescent; tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, usually elliptic to obovate; stamens exserted, 2.5–5 mm; filaments subglabrous or pubescent proximally. |
2–2.5 mm; perianth white to pale yellow, glabrous; tepals connate proximal 1/4 dimorphic, those of outer whorl obovate, those of inner whorl oblong; stamens exserted, 2–4 mm; filaments pilose proximally. |
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Achenes | light brown to brown, 1.8–2.5 mm, glabrous. |
light brown to brown, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous. |
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Eriogonum fasciculatum |
Eriogonum plumatella |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Oct. | |||||||||||||
Habitat | Sandy flats, washes, and slopes, mixed grassland, saltbush, blackbrush, and creosote bush communities, oak and pinyon-juniper woodlands | |||||||||||||
Elevation | 400-1700 m (1300-5600 ft) | |||||||||||||
Distribution |
AZ; CA; NV; UT; including nw Mexico
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AZ; CA; NV
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Discussion | Varieties 5 (4 in the flora). Eriogonum fasciculatum is a complex, polyploid series of variants that are generally distinct but often difficult to distinguish morphologically. Variety emphereium Reveal is confined to central Baja California, Mexico. The introduction of Eriogonum fasciculatum as a decorative roadside plant by the California Department of Transportation is resulting in hybrid populations involving E. cinereum. The aggressively weedy and (for Arizona) exotic variety foliosum is rapidly invading the native habitat of var. polifolium. Members of E. fasciculatum are food plants for several butterflies, notably the Bernardino dotted-blue (Euphilotes bernardino), lupine blue (Plebeius lupini), Mormon metalmark (Apodemia mormo), and Behr’s metalmark (A. virgulti). Probably the butterfly most commonly seen with the species is the nut-brown hairstreak (Satyrium saepium), which frequents plants in full flower. Eriogonum fasciculatum is also the most important native source of honey in California. This widespread species was used extensively by Native Americans for a variety of ailments. Its application for pain and headaches (D. P. Barrows 1900; K. Hedges 1986; E. W. Voegelin 1938) was rather common, as was its general use for diarrhea (Hedges; Voegelin). M. L. Zigmond (1981) reported that the Kawaiisu lined their acorn granaries with leaves of var. proliferum to keep out rain—a daunting challenge given the size of the leaves! L. Hinton (1975) reported the use of a decoction of dried flowers and roots to maintain a healthy heart, and M. C. Stevenson (1915) indicated that a powder derived from the roots was used by the Zuñi to treat wounds, whereas a root decoction was taken for colds and hoarseness. B. R. Bocek (1984) reported that the Costanoan Indians of California used a decoction of the plant to treat unspecified urinary problems. F. H. Elmore (1943) reported the use of a decoction of var. proliferum by the Navajo (Diné) people as an anti-witchcraft medicine. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Eriogonum plumatella is encountered infrequently, primarily on the Mojave Desert, where it occurs in two forms, one with pubescent (var. plumatella) and one with glabrous (var. jaegeri) inflorescence branches. As both forms occur occasionally in the same population, the varieties are not considered to be taxonomically significant. Eriogonum plumatella occurs from Kern County, California, south through Los Angeles (including the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains), San Bernardino, and Riverside counties to eastern San Diego County. To the east the species is found in Clark County, Nevada, and Mohave and western Yavapai counties, Arizona. A single specimen (Palmer s.n., GH) reportedly was gathered in Utah. Repeated efforts to find the plant in Washington County, Utah, have been unsuccessful, and the record is discounted here. This species is the food plant for the rare pallid dotted-blue butterfly (Euphilotes pallescens pallescens). According to M. L. Zigmond (1981), the Kawaiisu pounded the seeds into a powder and made a mush. Given the small size of the achenes, and the paucity of large populations, the task of gathering sufficient seed must have been daunting. In taste, these seeds differ little from other, more common members of wild buckwheat, so it is likely that achenes of several species were gathered and processed into a watery meal. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 5, p. 297. | FNA vol. 5, p. 308. | ||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla | Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla | ||||||||||||
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Synonyms | E. plumatella var. jaegeri | |||||||||||||
Name authority | Bentham: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 411. (1836) | Durand & Hilgard: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, n. s. 3: 45. (1855) | ||||||||||||
Web links |