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Matted wild buckwheat, tall buckwheat, tall wild buckwheat

Congdon's buckwheat, Congdon's wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, erect to spreading, perennial, 1–6 dm, glabrous, often glaucous, grayish. Subshrubs, spreading to erect, synoecious, 1.5–5 × 1–3 dm, floccose or glabrous.
Stems

caudex compact to spreading;

aerial flowering stems erect, solid, not fistulose, 0.4–4 dm, glabrous, often glaucous.

caudex spreading to somewhat erect;

aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, arising at nodes of caudex branches and at distal nodes of short, nonflowering aerial branches, 1–2(–2.5) dm, thinly floccose or glabrous.

Leaves

basal or sheathing up stem 3–8 cm;

petiole 0.4–4 cm, tomentose;

blade elliptic to deltoid or ovate to suborbiculate or orbiculate, 0.3–3 × 0.2–3 cm, densely white-tomentose and grayish on both surfaces, margins plane.

in rather compact basal rosettes;

petiole 0.2–0.8 cm;

blade narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblong, 0.5–2 × 0.3–0.6(–0.8) cm, densely white-tomentose abaxially, thinly floccose or glabrous and olive green adaxially, margins entire, revolute.

Inflorescences

cymose, open, erect to spreading, 5–40 × 5–40 cm;

branches glabrous;

bracts 3, scalelike, 1–3 × 0.5–2 mm.

umbellate, 0.3–3 × 1–3.5 cm;

branches thinly floccose or glabrous;

bracts 3–4, semileaflike, lanceolate, 0.1–0.5 × 0.1–0.3 mm.

Peduncles

erect or spreading, straight, slender, 0.6–6 cm, glabrous.

Involucres

turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, 2–4 × 1.5–3(–4) mm, glabrous but tomentose adaxially;

teeth 5, erect or nearly so, 0.5–1 mm.

1 per node, turbinate, 5–6 × 3–4 mm, tomentose;

teeth 6–8, erect, 0.5–2 mm.

Flowers

1.5–3.5 mm;

perianth white to pink with greenish to reddish midribs, becoming pinkish or orange-brown to red, glabrous;

tepals dimorphic, those of outer whorl ovate to obovate or cordate to suborbiculate, those of inner whorl narrowly oblong to oblong;

stamens included, 1–1.5 mm;

filaments sparsely pilose proximally.

4–6 mm, including 0.4–0.6 mm stipelike base;

perianth sulphur yellow, glabrous;

tepals monomorphic, obovate;

stamens exserted, 4–5 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown to brown, 3-gonous, 2–3 mm, glabrous.

light brown, 4–5.5 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.

Eriogonum tenellum

Eriogonum congdonii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Gravelly serpentine slopes and outcrops, manzanita communities, montane conifer woodlands
Elevation (1000-)1500-2300 m ((3300-)4900-7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; NM; OK; TX; including Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Eriogonum congdonii is an elegant subshrub restricted to the mountains of central-northern California (southern Siskiyou and northern Trinity counties). It is worthy of serious consideration as a garden introduction even though it typically occurs on nearly raw, greenish-black serpentine outcrops. In that setting, the olive green leaf blades, the bright green and nearly glabrous flowering stems and inflorescence branches, and the dense clusters of rich sulphur-yellow flowers make a beautiful contrast.

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

Key
1. Leaves basal; caudex stem blades 0.3-1.5 × 0.3-1 cm; compact; se Colorado, e New Mexico, w Oklahoma, n and w Texas
var. tenellum
1. Leaves sheathing up stems; caudex stem blades 0.3-3 × 0.2-3 cm; compact to spreading; Texas
→ 2
2. Leaf blades elliptic to deltoid, 0.3-1.2 × 0.2-0.7 cm; caudex stems spreading; c Texas
var. ramosissimum
2. Leaf blades ovate to suborbiculate or orbiculate, 1-3 × 1-3 cm; caudex stems compact to slightly spreading; sw Texas
var. platyphyllum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 400. FNA vol. 5, p. 357.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Ganysma 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. 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. 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. 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. wrightii, E. zionis
Subordinate taxa
E. tenellum var. platyphyllum, E. tenellum var. ramosissimum, E. tenellum var. tenellum
Synonyms E. ursinum var. congdonii, E. ternatum var. congdonii
Name authority Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 241. (1827) (S. Stokes) Reveal: Aliso 7: 220. (1970)
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