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Eriogonum ovalifolium Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands,
openings. Spring. These handsome white, one inch puff-balls are often tinged with pink or lavender -- especially as they age -- and can form mounds a foot or more across. The one-third inch, oval, sage green leaves grow vertically and are easily recognize even when the flowers are not present. Altogether this is an unusual and easily remembered plant. The 2005 Flora of North America, v. 5, recognizes eleven varieties of Eriogonum ovalifolium; three of them occur in at least one of the Four Corners states. The Flora says that "E. ovalifolium is a highly diverse and widespread complex of generally distinct but sometimes intergrading varieties". E. ovalifolium occurs in all of the Four Corners states. Thomas Nuttall named this plant in 1834. "Ovalifolium" refers to the leaf shape. |
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Eriogonum ovalifolium Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands,
openings. Spring. |
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Eriogonum ovalifolium Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) Semi-desert, foothills. Woodlands,
openings. Spring. Even in bud, this plant is very attractive. |
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Eriogonum racemosum (Wild Buckwheat) Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) Foothills, montane,
subalpine. Openings. Summer. Wild Buckwheat is common, in low foothill and mountain dry meadows and sometimes numbers in the hundreds or thousands giving a white caste to the meadows. The long-lasting white or white/pink flowers are in long spikes atop a long-necked, leafless stem. The plant’s light green, basal, elliptical, nearly vertical leaves are commonly found without a flower stalk. The Flora of North America notes that although Eriogonum racemosum is "highly variable in stature, the presence of... bracts..., the size and shape of the leaves, and the length of the mature flowers", none of these variable features are related to any geographical area and are insufficient for status of a new variety of the species. Thomas Nuttall named this species, which occurs in all of the Four Corners states, in 1848. "Racemosum" is from the Latin for "cluster" and is common botanical nomenclature for this flower arrangement, a "raceme". |
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Eriogonum racemosum (Wild Buckwheat) Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) Foothills, montane,
subalpine. Openings. Summer. |
