The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

cottony buckwheat, cottony wild buckwheat, gypsum wild-buckwheat

west Humboldt buckwheat, wind-loving wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, spreading, annual, 0.5–2 dm, tomentose, grayish to reddish. Herbs, matted, scapose, 0.5–1 × 0.5–3 dm, thinly tomentose to floccose, grayish.
Stems

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, not striated or angled, solid, not fistulose, 0.2–0.5 dm, tomentose.

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

caudex stems matted;

aerial flowering stems scapelike, erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.6–1(–1.5) dm, thinly tomentose to floccose.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: petiole 0.5–1 cm, floccose, blade broadly oblanceolate, 1.5–4 × 0.5–1 cm, tomentose abaxially, floccose or glabrate and grayish to green adaxially, margins crenulate, often slightly revolute;

cauline sessile, blade lanceolate, 0.3–2 × 0.2–0.7 cm, similar to basal blade.

basal, fasciculate in terminal tufts;

petiole 0.5–2.5(–3.5) cm, tomentose;

blade elliptic to obovate or suborbiculate, (0.7–)0.9–1.5(–2) × (0.3–)0.5–0.9(–1.1) cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, less so and greenish-tomentose adaxially, margins plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, diffuse, 3–17 × 5–25 cm;

branches tomentose;

bracts 3, scalelike, 1–2 × 0.5–1.5 mm.

capitate, 1–1.5 cm;

branches absent;

bracts 3, triangular, scalelike, 1.5–2 mm.

Peduncles

spreading, straight, capillary, 0.2–1.5 cm, thinly tomentose to floccose or glabrous.

absent.

Involucres

turbinate, 2.7–3 × 2–2.5 mm, glandular-puberulent, densely tomentose adaxially;

teeth 5, spreading, 0.8–1.2(–1.5).

3–5 per cluster, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, 2–3.5(–4) × 2–3(–3.5) mm, weakly rigid, floccose at least on teeth;

teeth 5–7, erect, 0.4–1 mm.

Flowers

1.5–1.7 mm;

perianth white, glandular-puberulent;

tepals monomorphic, narrowly oblong;

stamens included, 1–1.5 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

2–3(–3.5) mm;

perianth creamy white, glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/5, monomorphic, oblanceolate;

stamens exserted, 2–3 mm;

filaments sparsely pubescent proximally.

Achenes

light brown, 3-gonous, 1.3–1.5 mm, glabrous.

brown, 2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous, occasionally minutely papillate on beak.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum gossypinum

Eriogonum anemophilum

Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Clayey gypsophilous flats and slopes, grassland and saltbush communities Volcanic tuffaceous or gravelly to rocky (often limestone) slopes, saltbush and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands
Elevation 100-500 m (300-1600 ft) 1400-2600 m (4600-8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NV
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum gossypinum is rare to infrequent on the foothills of the Inner Coast Ranges in Kings (Kettleman Hills) and eastern San Luis Obispo counties, with two centers of concentration in Kern County, one in the Taft area and another east of Bakersfield. The Kern County populations are the most extensive and subject to the greatest habitat destruction. The species is protected at The Nature Conservancy’s Sand Ridge Preserve near Edison.

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

Of conservation concern.

Eriogonum anemophilum, in a strict sense, is known only from the limestone ridges and slopes of Star Peak in the West Humboldt Range of Pershing County. Also included within the present circumscription are plants from tuffaceous hills in Reese River Valley in Lander County, and from scattered sites on low hills in northeastern Eureka and southwestern Elko counties. A third set of populations occurs elsewhere in Pershing County (Jersey Valley and the Tobin and Trinity ranges) and just over the line in Humboldt County. Each group differs slightly from the others, the plants of the mountain ranges tending to be more robust, with obovate to suborbiculate leaf blades, compared to the plants of lower elevations, which have narrower leaf blades. Plants from Eureka and Elko counties have a grayish leaf tomentum, while those from the valleys of Humboldt, Pershing, and Lander counties have a greenish or tawny leaf tomentum. What, if any, taxonomic recognition these groups merit has not been determined.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 413. FNA vol. 5, p. 275.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma 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. giganteum, E. gilmanii, E. glandulosum, E. gordonii, 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. 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. 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
Name authority Curran: Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 274. (1885) Greene: Pittonia 3: 199. (1897)
Web links