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Thompson's buckwheat, Thompson's wild buckwheat

rush buckwheat, tall buckwheat, tall wild buckwheat, tall woolly buckwheat, tall woolly wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, spreading, not scapose, 2–5(–6) × 2–5 dm, glabrous, green. Herbs, erect, not scapose, 4–8(–15) × 1–4 dm, glabrous or villous.
Stems

spreading, without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/5 height of plant;

caudex stems spreading, glabrous;

aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, 1.2–3 dm, glabrous, tomentose among leaves.

erect, without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/5 height of plant;

caudex stems absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, slender to stout, solid or hollow, infrequently fistulose, 1.5–4(–8) dm, glabrous, tomen-tose, or villous.

Leaves

basal or sheathing up stem less than 2 cm, 1 per node;

petiole (0.1–)3–7(–10) cm, tomentose to floccose or glabrous;

blade linear or oblong to oblanceolate or elliptic, 2–8(–10) × 0.2–2.5(–3) cm, thinly to densely white-tomentose abaxially, glabrous and green adaxially, margins plane or slightly revolute.

basal;

petiole 5–25 cm, villous;

blade lanceolate to lance-ovate, 4–15(–25) × 1.5–6 cm, loosely villous and green on both surfaces or infrequently thinly tomentose abaxially and glabrate adaxially, margins plane.

Inflorescences

cymose, open, 10–30 × 10–25 cm;

branches dichotomous, glabrous;

bracts 3, scalelike, linear, 2–5(–7) mm.

cymose, 15–50 × 10–30 cm;

branches glabrous or villous;

bracts 3, semileaflike, linear, and 5–30 × 2–5 mm proximally, scalelike, triangular, and 1–4 mm distally.

Peduncles

absent.

absent or slender, erect, 0.5–4 cm, glabrous or tomentose.

Involucres

1 per node, turbinate, 2–3(–3.5) × 1–1.5(–2) mm, glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.4–0.5 mm.

1 per node or 2–5 per cluster, turbinate, (2.5–)3–4 × 2.5–3 mm, glabrous or slightly tomentose;

teeth 5, erect, 0.4–0.9 mm.

Flowers

3–3.5 mm;

perianth yellow or white, glabrous;

tepals connate only at base, monomorphic, oblong to obovate;

stamens slightly exserted, 3–3.5(–4) mm;

filaments sparsely pilose proximally.

2.5–4 mm, glabrous;

perianth white;

tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, obovate;

stamens exserted, 2.5–4 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown to brown, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous except for slightly papillate beak.

light brown, 3.5–4 mm, glabrous.

Eriogonum thompsoniae

Eriogonum elatum

Distribution
from FNA
AZ; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Eriogonum elatum is widely distributed but rather scattered throughout its range. The plants are occasionally seen in the garden. Inflorescence branches were chewed or made into an infusion and taken as a physic by some Native American people (D. E. Moerman 1986).

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

Key
1. Leaf blades linear, 3-8(-10) × 0.2-0.4(-0.6) cm
var. atwoodii
1. Leaf blades oblong to oblanceolate or elliptic; 2-5 × 0.8-2.5(-3) cm
→ 2
2. Perianths yellow
var. thompsoniae
2. Perianths white
var. albiflorum
1. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches gla- brous
var. elatum
1. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches villous
var. villosum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 261. FNA vol. 5, p. 315.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eucycla 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. 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. 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. 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. thompsoniae var. albiflorum, E. thompsoniae var. atwoodii, E. thompsoniae var. thompsoniae
E. elatum var. elatum, E. elatum var. villosum
Synonyms E. corymbosum var. thompsoniae
Name authority S. Watson: Amer. Naturalist 7: 302. (1873) Douglas ex Bentham: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 413. (1836)
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