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alpine golden buckwheat, alpine golden wild buckwheat, yellow buckwheat

Cithara buckwheat, Cithara wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, matted, 0.2–4 × 1–10 dm, tomentose to floccose. Herbs, spreading to erect, 2–3(–5) dm, glabrous or tomentose, greenish or reddish.
Stems

caudex absent or spreading;

aerial flowering stems erect or nearly so, slender, solid, not fistulose, arising at nodes of caudex branches and at distal nodes of short, nonflowering aerial branches, (0.1–)0.5–2(–3) dm, tomentose to floccose.

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

Leaves

basal, occasionally in rosettes;

petiole 0.5–4 cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade linear-oblanceolate to oblong or elliptic, 1–7(–9) × (0.3–)0.5–1.5 cm, densely whitish- or grayish-tomentose abaxially, mostly tomentose to floccose or glabrous and green adaxially, margins entire, plane.

basal and sometimes cauline;

basal: petiole 1–5 cm, tomentose to floccose, often slightly winged, blade oblanceolate or elliptic to ovate or nearly rounded, 1–2 × 0.5–1.5(–2) cm, tomentose abaxially, floccose to glabrate and grayish to greenish adaxially;

cauline: petiole 0.5–2 cm, floccose, blade elliptic, 0.3–1 cm × 0.2–0.7 cm, similar to basal blade.

Inflorescences

subcapitate or umbellate, 0.5–3(–5) × 0.3–2.5(–3) dm;

branches tomentose to floccose;

bracts 4–6, leaflike to semileaflike at proximal node, 0.5–2 × 0.2–0.5 cm, sometimes absent immediately below involucre.

cymose, distally uniparous due to suppression of secondary branches, open, 5–25 × 5–25 cm;

branches usually inwardly curved, glabrous or tomentose;

bracts 0.5–2.5 × 0.5–2 mm.

Peduncles

absent.

Involucres

1 per node, turbinate to campanulate, 3–9 × 2–5 mm, tomentose to floccose;

teeth 5–8, erect, 0.2–1 mm.

somewhat appressed to branches, turbinate, 2.5–3 × 1.5–2 mm, glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.2–0.4 mm.

Flowers

3–7 mm, including 0.2–1.5 mm stipelike base;

perianth pale to bright yellow, densely pubescent abaxially;

tepals monomorphic, oblong;

stamens exserted, 3–6 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

1.5–2 mm;

perianth white to rose, glabrous;

tepals monomorphic, oblong-obovate;

stamens included, 1–1.5 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown to brown, 3–5 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.

brown, 3-gonous, 1–1.5 mm.

Eriogonum flavum

Eriogonum cithariforme

Distribution
from FNA
AK; CO; ID; MT; ND; NE; OR; SD; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; SK; YT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Eriogonum flavum approaches E. arcuatum morphologically in southeastern Wyoming, and a clear distinction is not always possible when the plants are immature or the herbarium material is poor.

Variety polyphyllum, as traditionally circumscribed, is an alpine phase of both var. flavum and var. piperi; it is encountered infrequently in scattered range in the high mountains of southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

The graceful, upwardly curved branch segments of Eriogonum cithariforme generally are distinctive in older plants, although an occasional individual of E. davidsonii may have this feature. A distinction between E. cithariforme and E. roseum also is troublesome, as in young material the curved branch segments are not always obvious.

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

Key
1. Stipelike bases of flowers 1-1.5 mm; usually w of Continental Divide; sw Alberta and British Columbia, n Idaho, w Montana, ne Oregon, e Washington, nw Wyoming
var. piperi
1. Stipelike bases of flowers 0.2-1 mm; usually e of Continental Divide; ec Alaska, s Alberta, sw Manitoba, s Saskatchewan, wc Yukon, Montana, w Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, e Wyoming, and Colorado
→ 2
2. Leaf blades (0.3-)1-1.5 cm wide; inflorescence branches 4-20 cm; s Alberta, sw Manitoba, s Saskatchewan, Montana, w Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, e Wyoming, and Colorado
var. flavum
2. Leaf blades 0.4-1 cm wide; inflorescence branches 0.5-2 cm; ec Alaska, wc Yukon
var. aquilinum
1. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches tomentose
var. cithariforme
1. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches glabrous
var. agninum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 371. FNA vol. 5, p. 424.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Oregonium
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. elegans, E. elongatum, E. ephedroides, E. eremicola, E. eremicum, E. ericifolium, E. esmeraldense, E. evanidum, E. exaltatum, E. exilifolium, E. fasciculatum, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
E. flavum var. aquilinum, E. flavum var. flavum, E. flavum var. piperi
E. cithariforme var. agninum, E. cithariforme var. cithariforme
Synonyms E. flavum var. polyphyllum, E. polyphyllum E. gracile var. cithariforme, E. vimineum var. cithariforme
Name authority Nuttall: Cat. Pl. Upper Louisiana, no. 34. (1813) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 23: 266. (1888)
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