Flora of North America species comparison

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Eriogonum wrightii

Eriogonum nudum

bastard-sage, bastard-sage buckwheat, Wright's buckwheat, Wright's wild buckwheat

bare-stem buckwheat, barestem wild buckwheat, naked buckwheat, naked wild buckwheat, nude buckwheat
Habit Shrubs, subshrubs, or herbs, rarely scapose, (1–)1.5–10 × 1–15(–18) dm or, if matted, 0.1–2.5(–3) × 0.5–3(–5) dm, , lanate to thinly tomentose, or glabrous, grayish to greenish or reddish. Herbs, mostly erect, infrequently scapose, (0.5–)1–15(–20) × 0.5–3 dm, glabrous or floccose to tomentose, usually greenish, occasionally grayish.
Stems

spreading to erect, with or without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/2 or more height of plant;

caudex stems absent or spreading, occasionally matted;

aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, stout to slender, solid, not fistulose, (0.1–)0.5–4(–6) dm, tomentose, floccose, or glabrous.

spreading to erect, with or without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/4 height of plant;

caudex stems absent;

aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, slender to stout, solid or hollow, occasionally fistulose, 0.3–4(–10) dm, glabrous or lanate to tomentose or floccose.
Leaves

basal and fasciculate in terminal tufts, or cauline and fasciculate, occasionally 1 per node;

petiole 0.02–0.5(–1) cm, tomentose to floccose;

blade oblanceolate to broadly elliptic, 0.1–3 × 0.1–1 cm, tomentose to floccose, sometimes subglabrous or glabrous and green adaxially, margins plane, sometimes revolute.

basal or sheathing up stem 0.5–4 dm;

petiole 1–10 cm, glabrous or tomentose;

blade oblanceolate to elliptic or ovate, 1–6 × (0.3–)1–4 cm, densely white-lanate or tomentose abaxially, tomentose to floccose or subglabrous to glabrous adaxially, margins plane or undulate-crisped.
Inflorescences

virgate or cymose with involucres disposed at tips racemosely arranged involucres, rarely capitate, (1–)5–20 × (1–)10–40 cm;

branches dichotomous, tomentose, floccose, or glabrous;

bracts 3, triangular, scalelike, 0.5–3.5 mm.

cymose, rarely umbellate or capitate, 2–100(–150) × 2–40(–80) cm;

branches usually dichotomous, glabrous or tomentose to floccose or sparsely pubescent;

bracts 3, scalelike, 0.5–3(–5) mm.
Peduncles

absent.

absent.
Involucres

1 per node, turbinate to narrowly campanulate, (0.7–)1–4 × 1–2.5 mm, tomentose, floccose, or glabrous;

teeth 5, erect, 0.3–1 mm.

1 per node or 2–10 per cluster, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, (2.5–)3–5(–7) × (1.5–)2–4 mm, glabrous, tomentose, or sparsely pubescent;

teeth 5–8, 0.2–0.6 mm.
Flowers

1–4 mm;

perianth white to pink or rose, glabrous;

tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, obovate;

stamens exserted, 1.5–4 mm;

filaments glabrous or sparsely pilose proximally.

(1.5–)2–4 mm;

perianth white or yellow, sometimes pink or rose, glabrous or pubescent;

tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, oblong to obovate;

stamens exserted, 2–5 mm;

filaments pilose proximally.
Achenes

light brown to brown, (1–)1.5–3 mm, glabrous.

light brown to brown, 1.5–3.5 mm, glabrous.

Eriogonum wrightii

Eriogonum nudum
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; NM; NV; TX; UT; including nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV; OR; WA; nw Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 9 (6 in the flora).

Eriogonum wrightii is subdivided into several varieties most of which are distinct, although a few have rather indistinct boundaries. Some of the variation has yet to be fully resolved, especially in the var. nodosum complex where, at least in Mexico, one additional expression remains to be named. A clear distinction between var. subscaposum and E. kennedyi is not possible in southern California (see discussion below). Nearly all of the varieties of E. wrightii are in cultivation, although the most elegant (var. olanchense) has yet to be so honored.

Few ethnobotanical uses of bastard-sage are reported in the literature. L. C. Wyman and S. K. Harris (1951) noted that the Kayenta Navajo use it (var. wrightii) as an emetic, while M. L. Zigmond (1981) stated that the Kawaiisu used the pounded seeds (probably of var. subscaposum) in a beverage or as a dry meal. Members of the species are food plants for the rare Rita dotted-blue butterfly (Euphilotes rita), the Pacific dotted-blue (E. enoptes), the veined blue (Plebeius neurona), and the Mormon metalmark (Apodemia mormo mormo).

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

Varieties 13 (13 in the flora).

Several local groups of Native Americans in California used members of this species in a variety of ways. S. A. Barrett and E. W. Gifford (1933) and S. M. Schenck and E. W. Gifford (1952) reported the consumption of raw young stems that are rather moist and tasty, although there is a sour aftertaste. The Kawaiisu used the hollow stems (probably var. westonii, rather than var. pauciflorum) as drinking tubes and as pipes (M. L. Zigmond 1981). Zigmond reported also that the roots of var. pauciflorum are used as an infusion for coughs.

Members of Eriogonum nudum are food plants for the Bauer’s dotted-blue butterfly (Euphilotes baueri), the Pacific dotted-blue (E. enoptes), the gorgon copper (Gaeides gorgon), and the Mormon metalmark (Apodemia mormo).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Plants loosely to compactly matted or herbs
→ 2
1. Plants shrubs or subshrubs
→ 3
2. Plants 0.5-2.5(-3) dm; leaf blades 0.5-1(-1.2) cm; involucres 1.5-4 mm; e and s California,wc Nevada
var. subscaposum
2. Plants 0.1-0.3(-0.6) dm; leaf blades 0.1-0.25 cm; involucres 0.8-1.7(-2) mm; se California
var. olanchense
3. Flowering stems and branches grayish, lanate to densely tomentose; sw Arizona, se California
var. nodosum
3. Flowering stems and inflorescence branches whitish, reddish, or greenish, tomentose to floccose; widespread
→ 4
4. Petiole bases forming distinct ring around stem; leaf blades 0.2-0.6(-1) × 0.1-0.3(-0.4) cm; s California
var. membranaceum
4. Petiole bases not forming distinct ring around stem; leaf blades 0.5-3 × 0.2-1 cm; sw United States, Mexico
→ 5
5. Leaf blades 0.5-1.5 × 0.2-0.5(-0.7) cm; involucres 2-2.5 mm; flowers 2.5-3.5 mm; se California to w Texas
var. wrightii
5. Leaf blades 1.5-3 × 0.5-1 cm; involucres 3-4 mm; flowers 3-4 mm; c and nw California
var. trachygonum
1. Involucres and inflorescence branches tomentose to floccose; leaves usually basal
→ 2
1. Involucres and inflorescence branches glabrous or, if pubescent, leaves sheathing up stems
→ 3
2. Perianths white; flowering stems lanate to tomentose; leaf blades 2-3.5 cm; s Sierra Nevada
var. regirivum
2. Perianths yellow or white to rose; flowering stems tomentose to floccose; leaf blades 2-4 cm; s Oregon, n California, wc Nevada
var. oblongifolium
3. Leaves sheathing up stems, margins often strongly undulate-crisped
→ 4
3. Leaves basal, margins plane or slightly undulate-crisped
→ 8
4. Flowering stems tomentose
→ 5
4. Flowering stems glabrous
→ 6
5. Perianths pubescent; flowers 1.5-2 mm; involucres 3-4 mm; Sierra Nevada, California
var. regirivum
5. Perianths glabrous; flowers 3-4 mm; involucres 4-6 mm; Coast Ranges, California
var. decurrens
6. Leaf blades densely lanate abaxially, tomentose adaxially; involucres 5-10 per cluster; Sierra Nevada, California
var. murinum
6. Leaf blades tomentose abaxially, less so to floccose, glabrous, or nearly so adaxially; involucres 1 per node or 2-5 per cluster; widespread, Coast Ranges, California
→ 7
7. Flowering stems occasionally fistulose; involucres (2-)3-5 per cluster; perianths white to pink, rarely yellowish
var. auriculatum
7. Flowering stems strongly fistulose; involucres 1 per node; perianths pale yellowish white to yellow or white
var. indictum
8. Involucres 1(-2) per cluster
var. westonii
8. Involucres 2-10 per cluster
→ 12
9. Flowering stems fistulose; perianths yellow, infrequently white; c California
var. westonii
9. Flowering stems not fistulose or, if so, plants of sw California; perianths white, rarely yellow
→ 10
10. Perianths pubescent or, infrequently, glabrous; s California
var. pauciflorum
10. Flowers glabrous; sw Oregon, n California, Nevada
→ 11
11. Leaf blades 1-5 cm; sw Oregon, n California (including w slope of Sierra Nevada), Washington
var. nudum
11. Leaf blades 1-2 cm; Sierra Nevada of California and adjacent desert ranges of wc Nevada
var. deductum
12. Perianths pubescent, often yellow
→ 13
12. Perianths usually glabrous abaxially, white, rarely yellow
→ 14
13. Flowering stems not fistulose; leaf blades floccose or glabrous adaxially, margins plane; plants of nonaridregions
var. pubiflorum
13. Flowering stems slightly to distinctly fistulose; leaf blades tomentose to floccose adaxially, margins undulate-crisped; plants of arid regions
var. westonii
14. Inflorescences capitate or nearly so; alpine, Sierra Nevada
E. nudumvar. scapigerum
14. Inflorescences cymose or, if capitate, not alpine.
→ 15
15. Involucres 1(-2) per cluster, 5- 7 mm; mountains of s California
var. pauciflorum
15. Involucres 2-10 per cluster, 3-5 mm; mountains and foothills of c and n California or coastal bluffs. [16. Shifted to left margin—Ed.]
→ 16
16. Inflorescences cymose and branched 2 or more times; involucres 2-5 per cluster; mountains and foothills of c and n California, Oregon, and Washington.
var. nudum
16. Inflorescences capitate or cymose and branched 1-2 times; involucres 5-10 per cluster; coastal bluffs, sw Oregon, ne California
var. paralinum
Source FNA vol. 5, p. 289. FNA vol. 5, p. 309.
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. 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. 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. 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. wrightii var. membranaceum, E. wrightii var. nodosum, E. wrightii var. olanchense, E. wrightii var. subscaposum, E. wrightii var. trachygonum, E. wrightii var. wrightii
E. nudum var. auriculatum, E. nudum var. decurrens, E. nudum var. deductum, E. nudum var. indictum, E. nudum var. murinum, E. nudum var. nudum, E. nudum var. oblongifolium, E. nudum var. paralinum, E. nudum var. pauciflorum, E. nudum var. pubiflorum, E. nudum var. regirivum, E. nudum var. westonii, E. nudumvar. scapigerum
Synonyms E. trachygonum subsp. wrightii E. latifolium subsp. nudum
Name authority Torrey ex Bentham: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 15. (1856) Douglas ex Bentham: Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 413. (1836)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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