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slender buckwheat, slender woolly buckwheat, slender woolly wild buckwheat

Lemmon's wild buckwheat, volcanic 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, erect, annual, (0.1–)1.5–8(–10) dm, glabrous, green.
Stems

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

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, occasionally hollow and fistulose, 0.1–3 dm, glabrous.

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.

basal;

petiole 2–5 cm, pilose;

blade round, 1–3 × 1–3 cm, pilose and bright green on both surfaces, margins 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.

narrowly cymose, open, 10–80 × 5–50 cm;

branches infrequently fistulose, glabrous;

bracts 3, scalelike, 0.5–2 × 0.3–0.8 mm.

Peduncles

absent.

absent or only at proximal node, erect, straight, slender, 0.1–0.5 cm, glabrous.

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.

campanulate, 2–3 × (1.5–)2–3 mm, sparsely villous;

teeth 6–8, erect, 0.5–0.8 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.

1.5–2 mm;

perianth white or greenish with pink to red midribs, becoming pinkish, glabrous, papillate in fruit;

tepals monomorphic, lanceolate;

stamens included to exserted, 1–2 mm;

filaments glabrous.

Achenes

brown, 3-gonous, 1–2 mm.

dark brown to black, 3-gonous, 1.3–1.5 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 22.

Eriogonum gracile

Eriogonum lemmonii

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Clayey or tuffaceous outcrops, flats, and slopes, saltbush and greasewood communities
Elevation 1300-1700 m (4300-5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NV
[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 lemmonii is rare and localized, only infrequently being locally occasional. It is restricted to the southwestern edge of the pluvial Lahontan Lake basin of northwestern Nevada. It is found mainly in the Silver Springs and Wadsworth areas of Washoe, Churchill, and Storey counties, with outlying populations at the southern end of the Sahwave Mountains (Pershing County) and in Wilson Canyon (Lyon County). It is on the Nevada “watch list” of narrowly distributed endemic species.

(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. 394.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Oregonium Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma
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. 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. 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
Name authority Bentham: Bot. Voy. Sulphur, 46. (1844) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 12: 266. (1877)
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