Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium

(Bentham) Torrey & A. Gray

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 8: 169. 1870.

Common names: Mojave Desert California buckwheat
Basionym: Eriogonum polifolium Bentham in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 14: 12. 1856
Synonyms: Eriogonum fasciculatum var. revolutum (Goodding) S. Stokes
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 298. Mentioned on page 299, 300.

Shrubs or subshrubs, compact to spreading, 2–5 (–8) × 2–20 (–30) dm, tomentose to canescent and grayish. Aerial flowering-stems thinly tomentose to canescent, rarely glabrous. Leaf-blade usually oblanceolate, 0.6–1.8 × (0.1–) 0.2–0.6 cm, canescent on both surfaces or densely grayish-tomentose abaxially and canescent adaxially, margins plane or infrequently revolute. Inflorescences capitate to cymose-umbellate, rarely cymose; branches tomentose to canescent, rarely glabrous. Involucres turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 2.5–3.5 × 2–3 mm, canescent. Perianths pubescent. 2n = 40.


Phenology: Flowering year-round.
Habitat: Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, saltbush, blackbrush, and creosote bush communities, pinyon-juniper or juniper woodlands
Elevation: (60-)300-2500 m

Distribution

V5 588-distribution-map.gif

Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah, Mexico (Baja California), Mexico (Sonora)

Discussion

Variety polifolium is a widespread, common to abundant, or occasionally dominant shrub of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in Arizona, southern California, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. This is the common tetraploid expression of the species. It is occasionally planted as an ornamental in the more arid regions of the American Southwest.

Plants were used by several groups of Native Americans as a medicinal plant to treat a variety of symptoms (D. E. Moerman 1986). It was used also in the practice of witchcraft by the Navajo, in a potion against evil spells.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

light-brown;brown +
included +  and exserted +
3-gonous +
usually red +  and cream or yellow +
oblong +  and ellipsoid or oval +
acute;obtuse or rounded +
James L. Reveal +
(Bentham) Torrey & A. Gray +
deciduous +  and persistent +
stipelike +
Eriogonum polifolium +
papillate +
awn-tipped +  and simple +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
green +  and grayish +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
glabrous +, subglabrous +, canescent +  and subglabrous abaxially +
linear;linear-oblanceolate or oblanceolate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
not awn-tipped +
leaflike +  and semileaflike +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
linear +  and oblanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
not brittle +
spreading +  and erect +
glabrous +, tomentose +  and canescent +
scabrellous +
ridged +, angled +  and round +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
Mojave Desert California buckwheat +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, Nev. +, Utah +, Mexico (Baja California) +  and Mexico (Sonora) +
(60-)300-2500 m +
pubescent +  and subglabrous +
unisexual +, , +  and bisexual +
not attenuate +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 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 +
Sandy to gravelly flats and slopes, saltbush, blackbrush, and creosote bush communities, pinyon-juniper or juniper woodlands +
reduced +
cymose +, capitate +  and cymose-umbellate +
capitate +  and subcapitate +
dense +  and diffuse +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
connate +  and free +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
turbinate-campanulate +  and campanulate +
nonmembranous +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
oblanceolate +
0.2cm;0.6cm +
in whorls +, opposite +, alternate +  and rosulate +
persistent +
bractlike +
canescent +  and grayish-tomentose +
revolute +  and plane +
not swollen +
orthotropous +
accrescent +
curved +  and straight +
erect to deflexed +
white;pinkish +
cylindric +  and urceolate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
with extrafloral nectaries +  and not articulate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
Flowering year-round. +
homostylous +  and 3-carpellate +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
, +  and solid +
slender;stout +
persistent +
Illustrated +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
spreading +  and erect +
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 fasciculatum var. revolutum +
chambered +  and solid +
slender +  and stout +
Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium +
Eriogonum fasciculatum +
variety +
emarginate +  and entire +
0 +  and 1/2 +
usually elliptic +  and obovate +
coriaceous +
0.03 cm0.3 mm <br />3.0e-4 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
subshrub +  and shrub +
spreading;spreading +
tomentose +  and canescent +
synoecious +, monocarpic +, polycarpic +  and , +
3 +, 2 +  and 1 +