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St. Catherine's-lace

frosted buckwheat, frosted 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, dioecious, 0.5–3 × 1–4 dm wide, tomentose to floccose.
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.

caudex 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, 0.1–2(–2.5) dm, tomentose to floccose.

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.

in loose to congested basal rosettes;

petiole (0.3–)0.5–1 cm, tomentose;

blade oblong to oblong-ovate or spatulate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.3–0.7 cm, densely white- or grayish-tomentose on both surfaces, sometimes greenish adaxially, margins entire, 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 and 0.5–2 cm wide, mature pistillate plants open and umbellate, 1–3 × 1–4 cm;

branches tomentose to floccose;

bracts 2–6, leaflike, 0.1–0.5 × 0.1–0.3 cm, often absent immediately below involucre.

Peduncles

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

Involucres

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

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–0.8 mm.

1 per node but occasionally appearing congested, turbinate-campanulate, 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 mm, tomentose;

teeth 5–8, erect, 0.5–1 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.

stipelike base 0.5–1 mm;

perianth yellow, glabrous; staminate flowers 2–3 mm, tepals ovate; pistillate flowers 4–6 mm, tepals oblanceolate, often becoming reddish in fruit;

stamens exserted, 2–3 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

brown, 2–3.5 mm, glabrous.

light brown to brown, 3–3.5 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.

Eriogonum giganteum

Eriogonum incanum

Phenology Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly or rocky granitic or occasionally volcanic flats, slopes, and outcrops, mixed grassland, manzanita, and sagebrush communities, montane conifer woodlands
Elevation (1900-) 2100-4000 m ((6200-) 6900-13100 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 incanum is common throughout the central and southern Sierra Nevada of California (Alpine, El Dorado, Fresno, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Nevada, Tulare, and Tuolumne counties) and extreme west-central Nevada (Carson City, Douglas, and Washoe counties). It is a food plant for the green hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys lemberti), the Pacific dotted-blue (Euphilotes enoptes), and the gorgon copper (Gaeides gorgon).

(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. 366.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla 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. 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. 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. 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. marifolium var. incanum, E. ursinum var. rosulatum
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 371. (1885) Torrey & A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 161. (1870)
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