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slender buckwheat, slender woolly buckwheat, slender woolly wild buckwheat

frosted buckwheat, frosted wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, erect to spreading or somewhat decumbent, (0.7–)1.5–5(–7) dm, lanate to tomentose or floccose, rarely glabrous, greenish to whitish or grayish. Herbs, matted, dioecious, 0.5–3 × 1–4 dm wide, tomentose to floccose.
Stems

aerial flowering stems erect, 0.5–2 dm, lanate to tomentose or floccose, rarely glabrous.

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

basal and cauline;

basal: petiole 1–4 cm, floccose, not winged, blade oblanceolate to oblong, (0.8–)1–4(–6) × 0.5–2 cm, tomentose abaxially, less so to floccose and greenish to grayish adaxially;

cauline: petiole 0.3–2 cm, floccose, blade oblanceolate, 0.5–3 × 0.3–1.5 cm, similar to basal blade.

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, occasionally distally uniparous due to suppression of secondary branches, open to somewhat diffuse, 0.5–4 × 0.5–3 cm;

branches lanate to tomentose or floccose, rarely glabrous, straight or nearly so, not inwardly curved distally;

bracts 0.5–3 × 1–3 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.

Involucres

somewhat appressed to branches, turbinate, (1.8–)2–3 × 1.5–2 mm, floccose or glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–0.6 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

1.5–3 mm;

perianth white to pink or yellow, glabrous;

tepals monomorphic, lanceolate to oblong;

stamens mostly included, 1–1.5 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, 3-gonous, 1–2 mm.

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

2n

= 22.

Eriogonum gracile

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; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Eriogonum gracile is a highly variable species. The low, spreading plants from the mountains of coastal central California with 2–3 mm involucres and (usually) yellowish flowers differ from the more erect plants represented by the type collection, which have 1.8–2 mm involucres and white flowers. Such plants are found mainly farther south, in the Mt. Diablo and Mt. Hamilton areas of Alameda, Contra Costa, and Stanislaus counties. Some populations of E. gracile from the Inner Coast Ranges of eastern San Luis Obispo County are slightly different from the norm and the epithet leucocladon has been adopted in some local floristic treatments to account for them. However, the type of E. leucocladon does not seem to be this phase.

(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. Inflorescence branches lanate to tomentose or floccose; throughout California
var. gracile
1. Inflorescence branches glabrous; s California
var. incultum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 423. FNA vol. 5, p. 366.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Oregonium 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. giganteum, E. gilmanii, E. glandulosum, E. gordonii, E. gossypinum, 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. gracile var. gracile, E. gracile var. incultum
Synonyms E. vimineum subsp. gracile E. marifolium var. incanum, E. ursinum var. rosulatum
Name authority Bentham: Bot. Voy. Sulphur, 46. (1844) Torrey & A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 161. (1870)
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