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Pinnacles buckwheat, Pinnacles wild buckwheat

Great Basin desert buckwheat, Great Basin desert wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, spreading, 0.5–2 dm, glabrous, usually reddish. Herbs, matted, scapose, 0.5–1.2 × 0.7–4 dm, tomentose or floccose, grayish.
Stems

aerial flowering stems prostrate to ascending or weakly erect, 0.1–0.3 dm, glabrous.

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

caudex stems matted;

aerial flowering stems scapelike, erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, (0.2–)0.4–1 dm, tomentose or floccose.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

basal: petiole 1–3 cm, tomentose, blade round to reniform, 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, subglabrous or glabrous and green adaxially;

cauline: petiole and blade similar to basal leaves.

basal, fasciculate in terminal tufts;

petiole 0.3–1.5 cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade oblanceolate to elliptic or, rarely, ovate, 0.4–2(–2.5) × 0.2–1 cm, densely greenish- or grayish-white-tomentose on both surfaces or densely greenish-white tomentose abaxially, margins plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, not distally uniparous due to suppression of secondary branches, open, 4–18 × 10–30 cm;

branches glabrous;

bracts 1–2 × 1–2 mm.

capitate, 0.7–1.5 cm;

branches absent;

bracts 3, scalelike, triangular, 1.5–2 mm.

Peduncles

absent.

absent.

Involucres

terminal at tips of slender branchlets proximally, not appressed to branches, broadly turbinate, 3–4 × 2.5–3.5 mm, glabrous;

teeth 6–8, erect, 0.4–0.8 mm.

4–7(–9) per cluster, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, 2–3.5 × 2–3.5 mm, weakly rigid, floccose at least on teeth;

teeth 5–8, erect.

Flowers

1–2 mm;

perianth white to rose, glabrous;

tepals monomorphic, obovate;

stamens included, 1–1.5 mm;

filaments glabrous.

2–3.5 mm;

perianth yellow, glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/4–1/3, monomorphic, lanceolate or oblong;

stamens exserted, 2–4 mm;

filaments glabrous or sparsely pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown, 3-gonous, 1–1.3 mm.

brown, 2–3.5 mm, glabrous or sometimes with minute bristles on beak.

Eriogonum nortonii

Eriogonum desertorum

Phenology Flowering May–Aug. Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly slopes, mixed grassland and chaparral communities, oak and pine woodlands Gravelly or silty to clayey flats, slopes, and ridges, often on limestone soils, mixed grassland, saltbush, and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands
Elevation 300-1200 m (1000-3900 ft) 1500-3000 m (4900-9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NV; UT
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Eriogonum nortonii is a rare and localized species restricted to the Gabilan Range of Monterey and San Benito counties, from Fremont Peak south to The Pinnacles. It is confined largely to two protected areas, the Hastings Natural History State Reservation and the Pinnacles National Monument. A disjunct population is found southeast of Carmel Highlands in the Santa Lucia Mountains of Monterey County.

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

Eriogonum desertorum is a low- to mid-elevation species restricted to central and eastern Elko County, Nevada, and northwestern Box Elder County, Utah. The phase represented by the type is from the valley bottoms and lower foothills, although it extends onto the eastern slope of the East Humboldt Mountains to ca. 2600 m elevation. Such plants tend to have leaf blades that are grayish-tomentose on both surfaces. At higher elevations on isolated desert ranges (Jarbidge, Independent, and Kinsley mountains, where they occur as low as 1950 m) are plants that are smaller in all aspects and tend to have elliptic (rather than oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic) leaf blades; these have been named E. lewisii. Similar plants are in the Grouse Creek Mountains of Utah. As noted above, E. brevicaule var. bannockense occurs in eastern Elko County, where it is widespread and more common than E. desertorum. It is almost always at low elevations in the valley bottoms but can occur on some of the higher, isolated peaks. The leaf blades of var. bannockense are distinctly narrower and mostly longer.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 420. FNA vol. 5, p. 274.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Oregonium 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. 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. 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. 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. vimineum subsp. nortonii E. chrysocephalum subsp. desertorum, E. brevicaule var. desertorum, E. lewisii
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 2: 165. (1891) (Maguire) R. J. Davis: Fl. Idaho, 246. (1952)
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