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dogtongue buckwheat, sandhill wild buckwheat

flat-top buckwheat, Smith's wild buckwheat

Habit Herbs, 5–12 × 2–5 dm, white- to rufous-tomentose. Shrubs, erect to spreading, not scapose, (3–)4–10 × 5–20 dm, glabrous, bright green.
Stems

spreading, without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/3 height of plant;

caudex stems absent;

aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, slender, solid, not fistulose, 0.2–2 dm, glabrous.

Aerial flowering stems

erect, 1.5–7 dm, rounded and smooth.

Leaves

petiole 2–7 cm;

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

cauline on proximal 2/3 of stem, 1 per node;

petiole 0.3–0.5 cm, floccose or glabrous;

blade narrowly elliptic, 2.5–4.5 × (0.3–)0.6–1 cm, glabrous and green on both surfaces, rarely thinly floccose adaxially, margins occasionally slightly revolute.

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.

cymose, open to compact, 2–25 × 3–35 cm;

branches often with involucres racemosely arranged at tips of inflorescence, glabrous;

bracts 3, scalelike, linear to triangular, 1.5–4.5 mm.

Peduncles

absent.

absent.

Involucres

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

teeth 0.1–0.5 mm.

1 per node, turbinate, (2.5–)3–3.5 × 2–2.5 mm, glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–0.5 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.

3–4 mm;

perianth yellow, glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/4, slightly dimorphic, those of outer whorl obovate, 1.5–2 mm wide, those of inner whorl oblanceolate, 1–1.5 mm wide;

stamens exserted, 2–5(–7) mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

brown, 4.5–5 mm, glabrous.

brown, 3–3.5 mm, glabrous except for minutely papillate beak.

2n

= 40.

Eriogonum tomentosum

Eriogonum smithii

Phenology Flowering May–Oct. Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Sandy soil, mixed grassland communities, pine and oak woodlands Deep, moving, red blow sand, mixed grassland and scrub oak communities
Elevation 0-100(-200) m (0-300(-700) ft) 1400-1900 m (4600-6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[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.

Eriogonum smithii is restricted to the San Rafael Desert of Emery and Wayne counties. Plants from Little Gilson Butte (J. L. Anderson 86-228, BRY) have leaf blades thinly floccose on the abaxial surface but are otherwise similar to the shrubs found at Flat Top to the east. Smith’s wild buckwheat occurs in selenium-rich sands, which may limit its ability to be cultivated. The bright green, brilliantly yellow-flowered plants would make an elegant addition to the garden.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 330. FNA vol. 5, p. 260.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Eriogonum 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. 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. 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. 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. corymbosum var. smithii
Name authority Michaux: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 246, plate 24. (1803) Reveal: Great Basin Naturalist 27: 202, fig. 6. (1968)
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