Eriogonum desertorum

(Maguire) R. J. Davis

Fl. Idaho, 246. 1952.

Common names: Great Basin Desert wild buckwheat
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Eriogonum chrysocephalum subsp. desertorum Maguire Leafl. W. Bot. 3: 11. 1941
Synonyms: Eriogonum brevicaule var. desertorum (Maguire) S. L. Welsh Eriogonum lewisii Reveal
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 274. Mentioned on page 234, 264, 268, 275.

Herbs, matted, scapose, 0.5–1.2 × 0.7–4 dm, tomentose or floccose, grayish. Stems spreading, with persistent leaf-bases, up to 1/5 height of plant; caudex stems matted; aerial flowering-stems scapelike, erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, (0.2–) 0.4–1 dm, tomentose or floccose. Leaves basal, fasciculate in terminal tufts; petiole 0.3–1.5 cm, tomentose to floccose; blade oblanceolate to elliptic or, rarely, ovate, 0.4–2 (–2.5) × 0.2–1 cm, densely greenish or grayish-white-tomentose on both surfaces or densely greenish-white tomentose abaxially, margins plane. Inflorescences capitate, 0.7–1.5 cm; branches absent; bracts 3, scalelike, triangular, 1.5–2 mm. Peduncles absent. Involucres 4–7 (–9) per cluster, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, 2–3.5 × 2–3.5 mm, weakly rigid, floccose at least on teeth; teeth 5–8, erect. Flowers 2–3.5 mm; perianth yellow, glabrous; tepals connate proximal 1/4–1/3, monomorphic, lanceolate or oblong; stamens exserted, 2–4 mm; filaments glabrous or sparsely pilose proximally. Achenes brown, 2–3.5 mm, glabrous or sometimes with minute bristles on beak.


Phenology: Flowering May–Aug.
Habitat: Gravelly or silty to clayey flats, slopes, and ridges, often on limestone soils, mixed grassland, saltbush, and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands
Elevation: 1500-3000 m

Discussion

Eriogonum desertorum is a low- to mid-elevation species restricted to central and eastern Elko County, Nevada, and northwestern Box Elder County, Utah. The phase represented by the type is from the valley bottoms and lower foothills, although it extends onto the eastern slope of the East Humboldt Mountains to ca. 2600 m elevation. Such plants tend to have leaf blades that are grayish-tomentose on both surfaces. At higher elevations on isolated desert ranges (Jarbidge, Independent, and Kinsley mountains, where they occur as low as 1950 m) are plants that are smaller in all aspects and tend to have elliptic (rather than oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic) leaf blades; these have been named E. lewisii. Similar plants are in the Grouse Creek Mountains of Utah. As noted above, E. brevicaule var. bannockense occurs in eastern Elko County, where it is widespread and more common than E. desertorum. It is almost always at low elevations in the valley bottoms but can occur on some of the higher, isolated peaks. The leaf blades of var. bannockense are distinctly narrower and mostly longer.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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... more about "Eriogonum desertorum"
included +  and exserted +
sometimes +  and glabrous +
3-gonous +
usually red +  and cream or yellow +
oblong +  and ellipsoid or oval +
acute;obtuse or rounded +
James L. Reveal +
(Maguire) R. J. Davis +
deciduous +  and persistent +
stipelike +
Eriogonum chrysocephalum subsp. desertorum +
papillate +
awn-tipped +  and simple +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
grayish-white-tomentose +
ovate;,;oblanceolate;elliptic +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
not awn-tipped +
leaflike +  and semileaflike +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
triangular +  and scale-like +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
grooved +, branched +  and open +
not brittle +
spreading +  and erect +
tomentose +  and floccose or glabrous occasionally lanate or glandular +
scabrellous +
ridged +, angled +  and round +
spreading +  and erect +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
Great Basin Desert wild buckwheat +
Nev. +  and Utah. +
1500-3000 m +
pilose +  and glabrous +
unisexual +, , +  and bisexual +
not attenuate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
not fistulose +
unwinged +  and winged +
black +, red +, brown +  and yellowish +
exserted +  and included +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
spheroidal +, 4-gonous +, lenticular +, biconvex +, discoid +, 3-gonous +  and 2-gonous +
Gravelly or silty to clayey flats, slopes, and ridges, often on limestone soils, mixed grassland, saltbush, and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper woodlands +
reduced +
open +, virgate +, umbellate +, cymose-umbellate +  and cymose +
dense +  and diffuse +
cymelike +, paniclelike +, racemelike +  and spikelike +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
connate +  and free +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
turbinate +  and turbinate-campanulate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
in whorls +, opposite +, alternate +  and rosulate +
persistent +
bractlike +
greenish-white +
not swollen +
orthotropous +
accrescent +
curved +  and straight +
erect to deflexed +
cylindric +  and urceolate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
with extrafloral nectaries +  and not articulate +
tomentose +  and floccose +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Flowering May–Aug. +
homostylous +  and 3-carpellate +
, +  and solid +
slender;stout +
persistent +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
penicillate +, fimbriate +  and capitate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
consisting of a series +  and tubular +
distinct +
erect;spreading or recurved +
spreading;erect +
Eriogonum brevicaule var. desertorum +  and Eriogonum lewisii +
chambered +  and solid +
slender +  and stout +
Eriogonum desertorum +
Eriogonum subg. Eucycla +
species +
emarginate +  and entire +
0 +  and 1/2 +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
oblong +  and lanceolate +
coriaceous +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
herb +  and matted +
floccose +  and tomentose +
synoecious +, monocarpic +, polycarpic +  and , +
3 +, 2 +  and 1 +