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Wooton's buckwheat, Wooton's wild buckwheat

fox-tail wild buckwheat, foxtail buckwheat, Tulare County buckwheat

Habit Herbs, erect, 4–5 × 3–5 dm, tomentose to floccose. Herbs, matted, polygamo-dioecious, 0.5–1.5 × 1–4(–5) dm, mostly tomentose.
Stems

caudex absent;

aerial flowering stems erect, stout, solid, not fistulose, arising directly from a taproot, 1–2.5 dm, tomentose to floccose.

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, 0.5–1.5 dm, mostly tomentose.

Leaves

basal, not in rosettes;

petiole 2–5 cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade elliptic, (2.5–)3–6.5 × 1.5–3 cm, densely whitish- to tannish-tomentose abaxially, thinly tomentose to floccose and greenish adaxially, margins entire, plane.

in congested basal rosettes;

petiole 0.1–0.6(–1) cm, usually tomentose;

blade ovate, 0.2–1 × 0.1–0.6(–0.8) cm, densely tomentose on both surfaces but adaxial surface soon glabrous and green, margins entire, plane.

Inflorescences

compound-umbellate, 5–15 × 5–20 cm;

branches tomentose to floccose;

bracts 3–6, leaflike at proximal node, 2–4(–5) × 0.7–1.8 cm, often scalelike distally.

capitate, 0.5–2 cm wide, those with pistillate flowers becoming umbellate in fruit, 1.5–3 × 2–3 cm;

branches tomentose to floccose;

bracts 4–6 proximally, usually leaflike, 0.2–0.8 cm, absent immediately below involucre.

Involucres

1 per node, campanulate, 3–6 × 3–7 mm, thinly floccose;

teeth 5–7, erect, 0.3–0.6 mm.

1 per node, turbinate, (2–)2.5–3.5(–4) × 2–3 mm, tomentose;

teeth 5–7, spreading, 1–2 mm.

Flowers

4–7(–9) mm, including 1–1.5 mm stipelike base;

perianth bright yellow, densely pubescent abaxially;

tepals dimorphic, those of outer whorl lanceolate to elliptic, 3–6 × 1.5–2.5, those of inner whorl elliptic, 5–9 × 2–3.5 mm;

stamens exserted, 3–5 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

2.5–3.5 mm, including 0.2–0.4 mm stipelike base;

perianth chalky white, glabrous;

tepals monomorphic, oblong to narrowly obovate;

stamens exserted, 1–2 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.

Achenes

light brown to brown, 4–8 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.

light brown, 3–3.5 mm, glabrous.

Eriogonum wootonii

Eriogonum polypodum

Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep. Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly slopes, sagebrush communities, montane conifer woodlands Sandy to gravelly granitic flats, slopes, and outcrops, high-elevation sagebrush communities, subalpine and alpine conifer woodlands
Elevation 2000-2800 m (6600-9200 ft) (2400-)2800-3500(-3700) m ((7900-)9200-11500(-12100) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
NM
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Eriogonum wootonii is known only from the San Francisco Mountains of Lincoln and Otero counties in southern New Mexico. It is related to, but significantly disjunct from, E. arcuatum, and is part of a three-species complex that includes E. correllii of northern Texas and E. allenii of Virginia and West Virginia, and that skips across the central United States, the result of fragmentation associated with the southward push of Pleistocene glaciation.

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

Eriogonum polypodum is found in the southern Sierra Nevada in Fresno and Tulare counties, with the bulk of its scattered populations west of Mt. Whitney. The chalky white flowers are distinctive, especially when observed in the field, and unique in subg. Oligogonum.

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

Source FNA vol. 5, p. 370. FNA vol. 5, p. 365.
Parent taxa Polygonaceae > subfam. Eriogonoideae > Eriogonum > subg. Oligogonum 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. 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. 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. 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. jamesii var. wootonii E. umbellatum var. polypodum, E. ursinum var. venosum
Name authority (Reveal) Reveal: Harvard Pap. Bot. 9: 206. (2003) Small: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 25: 46. (1898)
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