The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

mountainmist, Parish's buckwheat, Parish's wild buckwheat

bastard-sage, bastard-sage buckwheat, Wright's buckwheat, Wright's wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, spreading, annual, 1–4(–5) dm, glabrous, greenish to reddish brown. Shrubs, subshrubs, or herbs, rarely scapose, (1–)1.5–10 × 1–15(–18) dm or, if matted, 0.1–2.5(–3) × 0.5–3(–5) dm, , lanate to thinly tomentose, or glabrous, grayish to greenish or reddish.
Stems

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, solid, not fistulose, 0.3–1 dm, glabrous, glandular distally.

spreading to erect, with or without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/2 or more height of plant;

caudex stems absent or spreading, occasionally matted;

aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, stout to slender, solid, not fistulose, (0.1–)0.5–4(–6) dm, tomentose, floccose, or glabrous.

Leaves

basal;

petiole 0.5–2.5 cm, hirsute, slightly winged;

blade spatulate, 2–6 × 0.5–2 cm, hirsute and greenish on both surfaces, margins plane, often ciliate.

basal and fasciculate in terminal tufts, or cauline and fasciculate, occasionally 1 per node;

petiole 0.02–0.5(–1) cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade oblanceolate to broadly elliptic, 0.1–3 × 0.1–1 cm, tomentose to floccose, sometimes subglabrous or glabrous and green adaxially, margins plane, sometimes revolute.

Inflorescences

cymose, usually diffuse, 10–35 × 10–50 cm;

branches not fistulose, glabrous, glandular at nodes;

bracts 3, scalelike, 1–2 × 1–2 mm.

virgate or cymose with involucres disposed at tips racemosely arranged involucres, rarely capitate, (1–)5–20 × (1–)10–40 cm;

branches dichotomous, tomentose, floccose, or glabrous;

bracts 3, triangular, scalelike, 0.5–3.5 mm.

Peduncles

spreading, straight, capillary, 0.4–1.5(–2.5) cm, glabrous or sparsely glandular at least proximally.

absent.

Involucres

turbinate, 0.5–0.9 × 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous;

teeth 4, erect or nearly so, 0.3–0.5 mm.

1 per node, turbinate to narrowly campanulate, (0.7–)1–4 × 1–2.5 mm, tomentose, floccose, or glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–1 mm.

Flowers

0.5–0.9 mm;

perianth pink to red with red midribs, puberulent, becoming white with pink to red midribs;

tepals slightly dimorphic, those of outer whorl ovate and 0.5–0.7 mm wide, those of inner whorl oblong and 0.4–0.5 mm wide;

stamens included, 0.5–0.6 mm;

filaments glabrous.

1–4 mm;

perianth white to pink or rose, glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, obovate;

stamens exserted, 1.5–4 mm;

filaments glabrous or sparsely pilose proximally.

Achenes

dark brown to blackish, 3-gonous, 1–1.3 mm, glabrous.

light brown to brown, (1–)1.5–3 mm, glabrous.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum parishii

Eriogonum wrightii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat Granitic sandy flats and slopes, mixed grassland, chaparral, and sagebrush communities, oak and montane conifer woodlands
Elevation (1000-)1300-3200 m ((3300-)4300-10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; TX; UT; including nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum parishii occurs from southern Mono County in the White Mountains southward in the Sierra Nevada of Inyo and Tulare counties to scattered desert ranges in San Bernardino (San Bernardino Mountains), Riverside (San Jacinto and Santa Rosa mountains), and San Diego (Laguna Mountains) counties. In Mexico, the species occurs as far south as the Sierra San Pedro Martír in Baja California Norte. A disjunct population from Crown King, Yavapai County, Arizona (Beaty s.n., 6 Sep 1951, CAS) requires confirmation. Possibly it is a recent introduction.

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

Varieties 9 (6 in the flora).

Eriogonum wrightii is subdivided into several varieties most of which are distinct, although a few have rather indistinct boundaries. Some of the variation has yet to be fully resolved, especially in the var. nodosum complex where, at least in Mexico, one additional expression remains to be named. A clear distinction between var. subscaposum and E. kennedyi is not possible in southern California (see discussion below). Nearly all of the varieties of E. wrightii are in cultivation, although the most elegant (var. olanchense) has yet to be so honored.

Few ethnobotanical uses of bastard-sage are reported in the literature. L. C. Wyman and S. K. Harris (1951) noted that the Kayenta Navajo use it (var. wrightii) as an emetic, while M. L. Zigmond (1981) stated that the Kawaiisu used the pounded seeds (probably of var. subscaposum) in a beverage or as a dry meal. Members of the species are food plants for the rare Rita dotted-blue butterfly (Euphilotes rita), the Pacific dotted-blue (E. enoptes), the veined blue (Plebeius neurona), and the Mormon metalmark (Apodemia mormo mormo).

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

Key
1. Plants loosely to compactly matted or herbs
→ 2
1. Plants shrubs or subshrubs
→ 3
2. Plants 0.5-2.5(-3) dm; leaf blades 0.5-1(-1.2) cm; involucres 1.5-4 mm; e and s California,wc Nevada
var. subscaposum
2. Plants 0.1-0.3(-0.6) dm; leaf blades 0.1-0.25 cm; involucres 0.8-1.7(-2) mm; se California
var. olanchense
3. Flowering stems and branches grayish, lanate to densely tomentose; sw Arizona, se California
var. nodosum
3. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches whitish, reddish, or greenish, tomentose to floccose; widespread
→ 4
4. Petiole bases forming distinct ring around stem; leaf blades 0.2-0.6(-1) × 0.1-0.3(-0.4) cm; s California
var. membranaceum
4. Petiole bases not forming distinct ring around stem; leaf blades 0.5-3 × 0.2-1 cm; sw United States, Mexico
→ 5
5. Leaf blades 0.5-1.5 × 0.2-0.5(-0.7) cm; involucres 2-2.5 mm; flowers 2.5-3.5 mm; se California to w Texas
var. wrightii
5. Leaf blades 1.5-3 × 0.5-1 cm; involucres 3-4 mm; flowers 3-4 mm; c and nw California
var. trachygonum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 390. FNA vol. 5, p. 289.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma 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. nortonii, E. novonudum, E. nudum, E. nummulare, E. nutans, E. ochrocephalum, E. ordii, E. ostlundii, E. ovalifolium, E. palmerianum, E. panamintense, E. panguicense, 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. wootonii, E. zionis
Subordinate taxa
E. wrightii var. membranaceum, E. wrightii var. nodosum, E. wrightii var. olanchense, E. wrightii var. subscaposum, E. wrightii var. trachygonum, E. wrightii var. wrightii
Synonyms E. trachygonum subsp. wrightii
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 379. (1882) Torrey ex Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 15. (1856)
Web links