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flat top buckwheat, yucca buckwheat, yucca wild buckwheat

Jaynes Canyon buckwheat, Jaynes Canyon wild buckwheat

Habit Shrubs, erect, not scapose, 3–10(–12) × 3–6(–8) dm, tomentose or glabrous, grayish or greenish. Herbs, matted, dioecious, (0.5–)1–2 × 3–8 dm, sparsely tomentose.
Stems

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

caudex stems absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.5–2 dm, tomentose or glabrous.

caudex spreading;

aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, arising at nodes of caudex branches and at distal nodes of short, nonflowering aerial branches, (0.5–)1–2 dm, sparsely tomentose.

Leaves

basal and cauline, 1 per node;

petiole 0.1–0.5 cm, mostly tomentose;

blade oblanceolate, 0.6–1.5 × 0.2–0.3 cm, tomentose on both surfaces, occasionally slightly less so adaxially, margins plane.

in loose basal rosettes;

petiole 0.7–3 cm, lanate to tomentose;

blade elliptic to ovate, (0.5–)1–2 × 0.5–1.5 cm, densely grayish-lanate on both surfaces, margins entire, plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, flat-topped and in tiers, 15–40 × 15–40 cm;

branches dichotomous, divaricately arranged in a zig-zag pattern, tomentose or glabrous;

bracts 3, scalelike, 1–7 mm.

staminate plants capitate, rarely umbellate, 1–2 × 1–2 cm; pistillate plants capitate, rarely umbellate, 1–4 × 1–4 cm;

branches tomentose to floccose;

bracts 4–6, semileaflike to leaflike, 3–5 × 1–3 mm.

Peduncles

absent.

Involucres

1 per node, turbinate, 2–2.5 × 1.5–2 mm, glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.4–0.6 mm.

1 per node or 2–3 per cluster, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, tomentose; staminate plants 2.5–3 × 3–4 mm, teeth 5–6, erect, 1.5–2 mm; pistillate plants 3–4 × 3–4 mm, teeth 4–5, erect, 2.5–3.5 mm.

Flowers

2–2.5 mm;

perianth white to pale yellow, glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/4 dimorphic, those of outer whorl obovate, those of inner whorl oblong;

stamens exserted, 2–4 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

perianth yellow to brownish yellow, glabrous; staminate flowers 2–3 mm, including 0.5–0.7 mm stipelike base; pistillate flowers (3.5–)5–8 mm, including 0.5–0.8 mm stipelike base;

tepals monomorphic, oblanceolate to obovate;

stamens exserted, 1–2 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown to brown, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous.

light brown to brown, 3–4 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.

Eriogonum plumatella

Eriogonum diclinum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Oct. Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat Sandy flats, washes, and slopes, mixed grassland, saltbush, blackbrush, and creosote bush communities, oak and pinyon-juniper woodlands Gravelly serpentine flats and slopes, sagebrush communities, montane conifer woodlands
Elevation 400-1700 m (1300-5600 ft) 1800-2400 m (5900-7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum plumatella is encountered infrequently, primarily on the Mojave Desert, where it occurs in two forms, one with pubescent (var. plumatella) and one with glabrous (var. jaegeri) inflorescence branches. As both forms occur occasionally in the same population, the varieties are not considered to be taxonomically significant. Eriogonum plumatella occurs from Kern County, California, south through Los Angeles (including the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains), San Bernardino, and Riverside counties to eastern San Diego County. To the east the species is found in Clark County, Nevada, and Mohave and western Yavapai counties, Arizona. A single specimen (Palmer s.n., GH) reportedly was gathered in Utah. Repeated efforts to find the plant in Washington County, Utah, have been unsuccessful, and the record is discounted here.

This species is the food plant for the rare pallid dotted-blue butterfly (Euphilotes pallescens pallescens). According to M. L. Zigmond (1981), the Kawaiisu pounded the seeds into a powder and made a mush. Given the small size of the achenes, and the paucity of large populations, the task of gathering sufficient seed must have been daunting. In taste, these seeds differ little from other, more common members of wild buckwheat, so it is likely that achenes of several species were gathered and processed into a watery meal.

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

Eriogonum diclinum is found infrequently in the Siskiyou and Trinity mountains of northwest California (Siskiyou and Trinity counties) and southwest Oregon (Jackson and Josephine counties). The species approaches E. incanum in aspect, and reports of that species in Oregon were based on staminate specimens of E. diclinum.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 308. FNA vol. 5, p. 367.
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. 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. 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. 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. plumatella var. jaegeri
Name authority Durand & Hilgard: J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, n. s. 3: 45. (1855) Reveal: Aliso 7: 218. (1970)
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