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unarmed buckwheat, unarmed wild buckwheat

Grand Valley desert trumpet, native American pipeweed

Habit Herbs, spreading, annual, 0.5–3 dm, glandular, greenish or reddish. Herbs, spreading, annual, (0.3–) 0.5–4 dm, essentially glabrous, green or occasionally yellow-green.
Stems

caudex absent;

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

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, usually hollow and fistulose, 0.5–1.5 dm, glabrous, villous proximally.

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;

petiole 1–3 cm, hirsute;

blade round, 0.5–3 × 0.5–2.5 cm, short-hirsute and greenish on both surfaces, margins 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.

cymose, open, spreading, 5–30 × 5–30 cm;

branches fistulose, glabrous;

bracts 3, scalelike, 1–2 × 1–1.5 mm.

Peduncles

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

erect, straight, filiform to capillary, 1–2 cm, glabrous.

Involucres

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

teeth 4, erect or nearly so, 0.8–1.2 mm.

turbinate, 1–1.2 × 0.7–1 mm, glabrous;

teeth (4–)5, erect, 0.4–0.6 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.

1.3–1.6 mm;

perianth yellow with greenish to reddish midribs, densely hirsute with coarse curved hairs;

tepals monomorphic, ovate;

stamens exserted, 1.3–1.8 mm;

filaments sparsely pubescent proximally.

Achenes

brown, lenticular, 1.5–1.9 mm, glabrous;

beak not exserted beyond tepals.

light brown, lenticular to 3-gonous, 1.3–1.8(–2) mm, glabrous.

Eriogonum inerme

Eriogonum fusiforme

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat Heavy clay, sometimes gravelly flats and slopes, saltbush and greasewood communities, pinyon and/or juniper woodlands
Elevation (900-)1100-2000 m ((3000-)3600-6600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; UT; WY
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Eriogonum fusiforme is widespread and common in southwestern Wyoming (Sweetwater County), eastern Utah (Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Kane, San Juan, Uintah, and Wayne counties), and adjacent western Colorado (Delta, Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, and Rio Blanco counties). In a “good” year, millions of individuals carpet the heavy clay flats and slopes (typically Mancos Shale), especially in Utah and Colorado. The plants can be so abundant and closely arranged that it can be difficult to walk through the tangle of stems and branches. This species is absolutely distinct from E. inflatum and no intermediates have ever been observed.

(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
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 410. FNA vol. 5, p. 386.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma 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. 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. 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. 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
Synonyms Oxytheca inermis E. inflatum var. fusiforme
Name authority (S. Watson) Jepson: Fl. Calif. 1: 406. (1914) Small: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 33: 56. (1906)
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