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

Havard's buckwheat, Havard's wild buckwheat

Colorado buckwheat, Colorado wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, erect, not scapose, (2–)3–6 × 1.5–4 dm, glabrous, grayish. Herbs, matted, scapose, (0.1–)0.3–0.6 × 0.5–5 dm, glabrous, grayish.
Stems

spreading, without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/5 height of plant;

caudex stems absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.5–2.5 dm, glabrous, tomentose among leaves.

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

caudex stems matted, glabrous;

aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.3–1(–1.2) dm, glabrous.

Leaves

basal, 1 per node;

petiole 0.5–1.5(–2.5) cm, tomentose;

blade oblanceolate to elliptic, 1–3(–5) × 0.2–1(–1.3) cm, densely white- or silvery-tomentose on both surfaces, margins plane.

basal, 1 per node but congested;

petiole (0.2–)0.5–3 cm, tomentose to floccose or glabrous;

blade oblanceolate to lanceolate or narrowly spatulate, 1–4(–5) × 0.3–0.6(–0.9) cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, thinly floccose or glabrous and green adaxially, margins plane or thickened.

Inflorescences

cymose, open, divided 3–10 times, 10–40 × 10–30 cm;

branches dichotomous, glabrous;

bracts 3, scalelike, triangular, 1–2 mm.

capitate, 0.7–1.5 cm wide;

branches absent;

bracts 3, semileaflike, usually triangular, 1.5–3(–4) mm.

Peduncles

erect, slender, 0.5–6 cm.

absent.

Involucres

1 per node, campanulate, 1.5–2.5 × (1.5–)2–3 mm, tomentose;

teeth 5, erect, 0.5–0.8 mm.

3–4 per cluster, turbinate-campanulate, 2–3.5 × 1.5–2.5(–3) mm, glabrous except for cottony tomentum on teeth, rarely thinly floccose;

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–0.7(–1) mm.

Flowers

2.5–3 mm;

perianth yellow, densely white-pubescent;

tepals connate proximal 1/3, monomorphic, lanceolate;

stamens exserted, 2.5–3.5 mm;

filaments glabrous.

2.5–3.5(–4) mm;

perianth white to rose, glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, oblong to ovate;

stamens exserted, 3.5–4 mm;

filaments sparsely pilose proximally.

Achenes

brown, 2–2.5 mm, glabrous.

light brown to brown, 2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum havardii

Eriogonum coloradense

Phenology Flowering May–Sep. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Gravelly (often calcareous) or shaley to clayey or gypsum flats and outcrops, mixed grassland, creosote, and mesquite communities, juniper woodlands Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, high-elevation sagebrush and marginal meadow grassland communities, montane or subalpine conifer woodlands
Elevation (400-)800-1800(-2100) m ((1300-)2600-5900(-6900) ft) 2800-3900 m (9200-12800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum havardii is infrequent in southeastern New Mexico (Chaves, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln, Otero, and Socorro counties) and western Texas (Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Pecos, Presidio, Terrell, Val Verde, and Winkler counties). The leaf blades are demarcated by depressed lines along their entire length, appearing as a series of folds. The bright yellow of the flowers is seen only by looking at the adaxial surface of the tepals, the abaxial surface being wholly obscured by dense white hairs. The species is worthy of cultivation.

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

Of conservation concern.

Eriogonum coloradense is a high-elevation species closely allied to E. lonchophyllum. It is restricted to the backbone of the central Colorado Rocky Mountains in Chaffee, Gunnison, Park, Pitkin, and Saguache counties. The Colorado wild buckwheat is listed as a “sensitive” species for Colorado. It is occasionally seen in cultivation.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 288. FNA vol. 5, p. 263.
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. giganteum, E. gilmanii, E. glandulosum, E. gordonii, E. gossypinum, E. gracile, E. gracilipes, E. gracillimum, E. grande, E. greggii, E. gypsophilum, 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. 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
Synonyms E. leucophyllum E. multiceps var. coloradense
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 18: 194. (1883) Small: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 33: 53. (1906)
Web links