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unarmed buckwheat, unarmed wild buckwheat

arrow-leaf buckwheat, arrowleaf wild buckwheat, northern buckwheat

Habit Herbs, spreading, annual, 0.5–3 dm, glandular, greenish or reddish. Herbs, erect, infrequently polygamodioecious, 2–4(–7) × 2–5 dm; floccose or glabrous.
Stems

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems mostly erect, solid, not fistulose, 0.1–0.5 dm, glandular.

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 and cauline;

basal: petiole 0.5–2 cm, glabrous, not or indistinctly winged, ciliate, blade spatulate, 1–4(–4.5) × 0.4–1.5(–1.8) cm, glabrous, margins ciliate;

cauline sessile, blade lanceolate, 0.3–1 × 0.1–0.3 cm, similar to basal blade.

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 or diffuse, 5–25 × 5–30 cm;

branches glandular;

bracts 3, scalelike, 0.5–1.5 × 1–2 mm, occasionally semileaflike, 4–10(–12) × 1–5 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

absent or erect, straight, slender, 0.1–1 cm, glandular.

Involucres

turbinate, 1.5–1.9 × 1–1.2 mm, glabrous or hispidulous;

teeth 4, erect or nearly so, 0.8–1.2 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

4–6, 1.2–1.8 mm;

perianth pink to reddish, hirsutulous with stiff, white, hooked hairs;

tepals monomorphic, oblong;

stamens included, 1–1.5 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, lenticular, 1.5–1.9 mm, glabrous;

beak not exserted beyond tepals.

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

Eriogonum inerme

Eriogonum compositum

Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(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. Involucres glabrous; Coast and Transverse ranges, California, disjunct in Boise County, Idaho
var. inerme
1. Involucres hispidulous; Transverse Ranges and s Sierra Nevada, disjunct in Tuolumne County, California
var. hispidulum
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. 410. FNA vol. 5, p. 355.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma 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. 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. 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. inerme var. hispidulum, E. inerme var. inerme
E. compositum var. compositum, E. compositum var. lancifolium, E. compositum var. leianthum
Synonyms Oxytheca inermis
Name authority (S. Watson) Jepson: Fl. Calif. 1: 406. (1914) Douglas ex Bentham: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 21: plate 1774. (1835)
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