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

dogtongue buckwheat, sandhill wild buckwheat

jointed buckwheat, napkinring, napkinring wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, 5–12 × 2–5 dm, white- to rufous-tomentose. Herbs, 6–15 × 0.3–0.9 dm, grayish.
Aerial flowering stems

erect, 1.5–7 dm, rounded and smooth.

5–12 dm, disarticulating into ringlike segments 3–10(–16) mm.

Leaves

petiole 2–7 cm;

blade oblong to elliptic or spatulate, 4–15 × 1.5–4 cm, densely tomentose abaxially, subglabrous or glabrous adaxially.

petiole 3–8 cm, pilose;

blade oblong-ovate, 2.5–7 × 0.7–2(–3) cm, pilose on both surfaces, margins entire.

Inflorescences

(3–)5–30 × 3–20 cm;

bracts 3–5, leaflike, ovate to elliptic, 1–6 × 0.5–2.5 cm proximally, semileaflike, usually elliptic, 4–30 × 1–20 mm distally.

1–3 × 2–6 cm;

bracts scalelike distally, triangular, and 1–3 mm, semileaflike proximally, oblong, and 3–6 mm.

Peduncles

absent.

Involucres

turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 3–4.5(–5) × 3–5 mm;

teeth 0.1–0.5 mm.

2.5–3.5 × 3–5 mm, pilose;

teeth 0.5–2 mm.

Flowers

8–13 mm, including 2.5–3.5(–4) mm stipelike base;

perianth cream to light tan, densely tannish- to rusty-lanate abaxially;

tepals dimorphic, those of outer whorl broadly lanceolate, 3–5 × 1.7–2.2 mm, those of inner whorl obovate to nearly orbiculate, 3–6 × 3–4 mm;

stamens 3.5–5 mm;

filaments pilose.

1.5–3 mm;

tepals: those of outer whorl oblanceolate, 0.9–1.2 mm wide, those of inner whorl broadly oblanceolate to fan-shaped, 1–1.5 mm wide;

stamens 0.8–1.5 mm.

Achenes

brown, 4.5–5 mm, glabrous.

2–2.5 mm.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum tomentosum

Eriogonum intrafractum

Phenology Flowering May–Oct. Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat Sandy soil, mixed grassland communities, pine and oak woodlands Limestone washes, slopes, and cliffs, saltbush and creosote bush communities, juniper woodlands
Elevation 0-100(-200) m (0-300(-700) ft) (600-)800-1600 m ((2000-)2600-5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum tomentosum is widespread in a series of somewhat disjunct populations mainly on the coastal plain. It supposedly is found in North Carolina, but no specimens have been seen. An unnumbered J. K. Small collection from Miami, Florida (Nov. 1904, NY), surely is mislabeled. A Cuthbert collection (30 Jul. 1876, MICH) from Augusta may be from a garden, as that location is well out of the known range of the species. Mark Catesby made the first collections (BM-Sloane, OXF) of the species in the 1720s. T. Walter (1788) ascribed his specimen (BM-Walter) to a European species of Saxifragaceae.

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

Of conservation concern.

Rare and restricted to the Cottonwood, Funeral, Grapevine, and Panamint ranges of Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, Eriogonum intrafractum is one of the more remarkable species of the genus. The tall, simple, glabrous stem is branched only near the top, and then with only two to five inflorescence branches. The small leaves are restricted to the base of the plant. The lower part of the stem, when dried, fragments into napkinring-like segments. The rings have no evident value to the species, as they are not capable of vegetative reproduction. Some parenchyma cells at the fracture points are large enough to be seen with the naked eye, and it is likely that they act as compression points. Much as the intervertebral disks in the vertebral column provide a degree of flexibility, so too may these large parenchyma cells allow the top-heavy flowering stem to move in the wind without breaking. The flowers are numerous, each involucre so filled with more than a hundred flowers that it is torn apart by late anthesis.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 330. FNA vol. 5, p. 328.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eriogonum Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Clastomyelon
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. thompsoniae, E. thornei, E. thurberi, E. thymoides, E. tiehmii, 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. 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
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 246, plate 24. (1803) Coville & C. V. Morton: J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 26: 305. (1936)
Web links