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Havard's buckwheat, Havard's wild buckwheat

arrow-leaf buckwheat, arrowleaf wild buckwheat, northern buckwheat

Habit Herbs, erect, not scapose, (2–)3–6 × 1.5–4 dm, glabrous, grayish. Herbs, erect, infrequently polygamodioecious, 2–4(–7) × 2–5 dm; floccose or glabrous.
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.

caudex spreading;

aerial flowering stems erect, slender or stout, hollow, often slightly fistulose, arising at nodes of caudex branches and at distal nodes of short, nonflowering aerial branches, 1–5 dm, floccose or 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, occasionally in rosettes;

petiole 4–10(–15) cm, tomentose;

blade lanceolate or ovate to deltoid, (2–)7–25 × (0.7–)1–8 cm, densely white-lanate to tomentose abaxially, less so to glabrate and greenish adaxially, margins entire, plane.

Inflorescences

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

branches dichotomous, glabrous;

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

umbellate or compound-umbellate, 3–20 × 3–20 cm;

branches floccose or glabrous;

bracts 3–several, leaflike or semileaflike at proximal nodes, linear to linear-lanceolate, 1–3(–6) cm, scalelike distally, usually 1–5 × 0.5–3 mm.

Peduncles

erect, slender, 0.5–6 cm.

Involucres

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

teeth 5, erect, 0.5–0.8 mm.

1 per node, turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 6–10 × 4–10 mm, sparsely to densely lanate, weakly glandular-puberulent, or glabrous;

teeth (5–)7–10, usually not lobelike, erect to weakly reflexed, 2–4 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.

5–6 mm, including 0.7–1.5 mm stipelike base;

perianth pale to bright yellow, occasionally ochroleucous, glabrous;

tepals monomorphic, oblong to oblong-ovate;

stamens slightly exserted, 4–8 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

brown, 2–2.5 mm, glabrous.

light brown, 5–6 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum havardii

Eriogonum compositum

Phenology Flowering May–Sep.
Habitat Gravelly (often calcareous) or shaley to clayey or gypsum flats and outcrops, mixed grassland, creosote, and mesquite communities, juniper woodlands
Elevation (400-)800-1800(-2100) m ((1300-)2600-5900(-6900) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Eriogonum compositum is one of the more attractive members of the genus and does well in cultivation. The three varieties are only weakly differentiated, and both var. lancifolium and var. leianthum merge with var. compositum. The butterfly Euphilotes enoptes is a pollinator of this species.

The Okanagan-Colville Indians of British Columbia and Washington used plants of Eriogonum compositum as a cold remedy, an antidiarrheal, and a wash for infected cuts. Not surprisingly, children used the hollow, often slightly inflated stems as a toy (N. J. Turner et al. 1980).

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

Key
1. Leaf blades lanceolate; Chelan, Kittitas, Okanogan, and Yakima counties, Washington
var. lancifolium
1. Leaf blades ovate to deltoid; widespread
→ 2
2. Involucres sparsely to densely lanate; n California, wc Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
var. compositum
2. Involucres glabrous or weakly glandular-puberulent; wc Idaho, ne Oregon, and e Washington
var. leianthum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 288. FNA vol. 5, p. 355.
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. 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. coloradense, 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
Subordinate taxa
E. compositum var. compositum, E. compositum var. lancifolium, E. compositum var. leianthum
Synonyms E. leucophyllum
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 18: 194. (1883) Douglas ex Bentham: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 21: plate 1774. (1835)
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