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St. Catherine's-lace

White Mountain buckwheat, White Mountains buckwheat, White Mountains wild buckwheat

Habit Shrubs, round to erect, 3–20(–35) × (3–)5–20(–35) dm, tomentose to floccose or glabrate, grayish to reddish. Herbs, matted, scapose, 0.5–1 × 0.5–2 dm, glandular-hairy, greenish.
Stems

spreading to erect, occasionally with persistent leaf bases, up to 3/4 or more height of plant, often with a distinct main trunk up to 1 dm thick;

caudex stems absent;

aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, slender to stout, solid, not fistulose, 1–4 dm, tomentose to glabrate.

matted, with persistent leaf bases, up to 1/5 height of plant;

caudex stems matted;

aerial flowering stems scapelike, erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, (0.2–)0.3–1(–1.2) dm, glandular-hairy.

Leaves

cauline, 1 per node;

petiole 0.5–4 cm, tomentose;

blade oblong-ovate to ovate or lanceolate to narrowly oblong, 2.5–7(–10) × 1–5 cm, white-tomentose abaxially, sometimes slightly less so or cinereous to somewhat glabrate and greenish adaxially, margins plane, sometimes crisped.

basal, fasciculate in terminal tufts;

petiole (0.5–)0.8–1.7(–2) cm, thinly tomentose, glandular;

blade oblanceolate to elliptic, (0.3–)1–1.5(–2) × (0.2–)0.3–0.6 cm, densely white-tomentose and glandular abaxially, less so and greenish adaxially, margins plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, open or compact, 5–30 × (2–)5–50(–80) cm;

branches dichotomous, tomentose to floccose or glabrate;

bracts 3, scalelike, broadly triangular, and 1–2 mm, or leaflike, oblanceolate to elliptic, and 5–30 mm.

capitate, 1–2 cm;

branches absent;

bracts 3–5, lanceolate, scalelike, 1.5–3 mm.

Peduncles

absent or erect, slender, 0.1–0.5 cm, tomentose.

absent.

Involucres

1 per node, campanulate, 3–5 × 2.5–4 mm, tomentose;

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–0.8 mm.

5–7 per cluster, turbinate to campanulate, 2–4 × 2–3 mm, membranous, sparsely glandular to glandular-puberulent or pubescent;

teeth 5, erect to spreading, 1–1.5 mm.

Flowers

2–4 mm;

perianth white to rose, white-villous abaxially;

tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, obovate;

stamens exserted, 2–4 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

2–3 mm;

perianth white to rose, glandular;

tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, obovate;

stamens exserted, 2–3.5(–4) mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

brown, 2–3.5 mm, glabrous.

light brown, 2–2.3(–2.5) mm, glabrous.

Eriogonum giganteum

Eriogonum gracilipes

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Granitic, sandstone or limestone sandy to gravelly outcrops, slopes, and ridge tops, high-elevation sagebrush communities, subalpine and alpine conifer woodlands
Elevation 2900-3900 m (9500-12800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The California Department of Transportation is planting members of this insular species, especially var. giganteum, on the mainland, where it readily hybridizes with both E. fasciculatum and E. cinereum. Every effort should be made to remove the introduced E. giganteum from coastal California.

The Avalon scrub-hairstreak butterfly (Strymon avalona), which is endemic to Santa Catalina Island, uses Eriogonum giganteum as a food plant.

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

Eriogonum gracilipes is generally found with Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D. K. Bailey) and foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana S. Watson) in the higher elevations of the White Mountains and on the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada immediately to the west. The White Mountains wild buckwheat is restricted to Mono and Inyo counties, California, and just enters Esmeralda County in Nevada. It is occasionally seen in cultivation.

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

Key
1. Leaf blades oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate; San Clemente Island
var. formosum
1. Leaf blades oblong-ovate to ovate; not San Clemente Island
→ 2
2. Leaf blades 3-7(-10) × 2-5 cm; inflorescences open; Santa Catalina Island
var. giganteum
2. Leaf blades 2.5-3.5(-6) × 1.5-2(-4) cm; inflorescences compact to rarely open; Santa Barbara and Sutil islands
var. compactum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 301. FNA vol. 5, p. 282.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla
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. flavum, E. fusiforme, 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. 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. giganteum var. compactum, E. giganteum var. formosum, E. giganteum var. giganteum
Synonyms E. kennedyi subsp. gracilipes, E. ochrocephalum var. gracilipes
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 371. (1885) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 24: 85. (1889)
Web links