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fine branch wild buckwheat, sand buckwheat, sand wild buckwheat

Wooton's buckwheat, Wooton's wild buckwheat

Habit Shrubs, erect to spreading, not scapose, (2–)3–10(–12) × 5–15(–20) dm, white-tomentose to floccose, or green and nearly glabrous. Herbs, erect, 4–5 × 3–5 dm, tomentose to floccose.
Stems

spreading, often without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/2 height of plant;

caudex stems absent or spreading in moving sand;

aerial flowering stems spreading, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.3–1 dm, white-tomentose, floccose to glabrate or glabrous.

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, stout, solid, not fistulose, arising directly from a taproot, 1–2.5 dm, tomentose to floccose.

Leaves

cauline, 1 per node;

petiole 0.2–0.5 cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade linear-lanceolate to linear-oblanceolate to narrowly oblong, or lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 1.5–4 × 0.2–0.8(–1.2) cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, less so and greenish adaxially, margins plane, infrequently revolute.

basal, not in rosettes;

petiole 2–5 cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade elliptic, (2.5–)3–6.5 × 1.5–3 cm, densely whitish- to tannish-tomentose abaxially, thinly tomentose to floccose and greenish adaxially, margins entire, plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, open, 5–40 × 10–50 cm;

branches dichtomous proximally, often with involucres racemosely arranged proximally, tomentose to floccose or glabrate, occasionally glabrous;

bracts 3, scalelike, linear to triangular, 1–3(–6) mm.

compound-umbellate, 5–15 × 5–20 cm;

branches tomentose to floccose;

bracts 3–6, leaflike at proximal node, 2–4(–5) × 0.7–1.8 cm, often scalelike distally.

Peduncles

absent.

Involucres

1 per node, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, 1.5–3 × 1–2 mm, tomentose to floccose or glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.4–0.7 mm.

1 per node, campanulate, 3–6 × 3–7 mm, thinly floccose;

teeth 5–7, erect, 0.3–0.6 mm.

Flowers

(2–)2.5–3.5 mm;

perianth white or pale yellow to yellow, glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/4–1/3, essentially monomorphic, oblong to broadly obovate;

stamens slightly exserted, 2–4 mm;

filaments sparsely pilose proximally.

4–7(–9) mm, including 1–1.5 mm stipelike base;

perianth bright yellow, densely pubescent abaxially;

tepals dimorphic, those of outer whorl lanceolate to elliptic, 3–6 × 1.5–2.5, those of inner whorl elliptic, 5–9 × 2–3.5 mm;

stamens exserted, 3–5 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown, 2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous except for minutely papillate beak.

light brown to brown, 4–8 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.

Eriogonum leptocladon

Eriogonum wootonii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly slopes, sagebrush communities, montane conifer woodlands
Elevation 2000-2800 m (6600-9200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Eriogonum leptocladon is localized on moving sands on the Colorado Plateau. It is not unusual, therefore, for portions of the shrub to be buried in sand, especially the main, woody trunk from which the flowering stems arise. In the Four Corners area three species share portions of overlapping ranges, and herbarium material from there can be difficult to separate. In northwestern New Mexico, var. ramosissimum approaches E. effusum, and in eastern San Juan County the two can be distinguished only by the open, spreading inflorescence branching pattern of var. ramosissimum as compared to the densely branched, compact inflorescence of E. effusum. In the field, the former is confined to sandy areas whereas the latter is typically on heavier, usually clayey soils. In south-central Utah, var. ramosissimum approaches E. nummulare. There, both are found on moving sands, and only the degree of stoutness of the branches can be used to differentiate them when cauline leaves are absent. For the most part, the inflorescence branches of E. nummulare are more rigid and stouter than those of var. ramosissimum, which tend to be flexible and slender. When leaves are present, those of the former are broader and more apically rounded compared to those of the latter.

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

Eriogonum wootonii is known only from the San Francisco Mountains of Lincoln and Otero counties in southern New Mexico. It is related to, but significantly disjunct from, E. arcuatum, and is part of a three-species complex that includes E. correllii of northern Texas and E. allenii of Virginia and West Virginia, and that skips across the central United States, the result of fragmentation associated with the southward push of Pleistocene glaciation.

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

Key
1. Perianths pale yellow to yellow
var. leptocladon
1. Perianths white
→ 2
2. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches tomentose, rarely floccose
var. ramosissimum
2. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches glabrous
var. papiliunculi
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 249. FNA vol. 5, p. 370.
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. 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. 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. 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. wrightii, E. zionis
Subordinate taxa
E. leptocladon var. leptocladon, E. leptocladon var. papiliunculi, E. leptocladon var. ramosissimum
Synonyms E. effusum subsp. leptocladon E. jamesii var. wootonii
Name authority Torrey & A. Gray: in War Department [U.S.], Pacif. Railr. Rep. 2(1): 129. (1857) (Reveal) Reveal: Harvard Pap. Bot. 9: 206. (2003)
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