Sulfur Flower is an abundant, very bright addition to hot, dry meadows of foothills and mountains.  Its numerous, long-lasting flowers start as red-tinted buds, open brilliant yellow, and then dry to oranges and reds.  Its small leaves form dense wide mats and change to reds in the fall.  The young plants at left will eventually merge and spread, forming a larger and larger mat.

Eriogonum umbellatum is, according to  Flora of North America, "widespread and exceedingly variable...."   The discussion of the forty-one varieties of E. umbellatum takes up over eighteen pages in the Flora.  Nine of the varieties occur in at least one of the Four Corners states of Arizona, Utah, or Colorado but none occur in New Mexico.  The  forty-one varieties differ from one another first in the arrangement of their bracts, then in flower size and color, leaf blade hairiness and shape, the upright or spreading posture of the plant, etc.  Several varities are shown on this page.  

John Torrey named Eriogonum umbellatum in 1827.  "Umbellatum" refers to the umbrella-like arrangement of the flowers.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, openings. Spring, summer.
Mesa Verde National Park, July 25, 2009.

This variety of Eriogonum umbellatum sends up numerous stems and has creamy-yellow flowers.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, openings. Spring, summer.
Fish Creek Trail, August 9, 2005.

Dried flowers have subtle shades of reds and yellows.

Foothills, montane, subalpine. Meadows, openings. Spring, summer.
Lone Mesa State Park, August 15, 2008.