Eriogonum caespitosum
| Eriogonum caespitosum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Genus: | Eriogonum |
| Species: | E. caespitosum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Eriogonum caespitosum | |
Eriogonum caespitosum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name matted buckwheat, mat buckwheat, or cushion desert buckwheat.[1]
Description
The species is a tough perennial plant which grows in flat, woody mats in sand and gravel substrates. It has small, fuzzy gray leaves (under 2.5 centimetres (1 in) long)[1] which are scoop-shaped due to their rolled edges.
In early summer,[1] short stalks emerge from the mat with inflorescences of greenish-yellow and whitish rounded clusters of flowers. These redden with age[1] and hang backwards over the edge of the involucre. The species is dioecious.[2] Some of the flowers are bisexual and up to 1 cm wide each, and some are only staminate and much smaller.
Distribution and habitat
It is a common perennial plant native to the western United States from California to Montana, especially the Great Basin.
It prefers middle and high elevations, from shrub–steppe to rocky environs.[2]
Uses
It is cultivated as a rock garden plant.
References
- ^ a b c d Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992]. Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 32. ISBN 0-87842-280-3. OCLC 25708726.
- ^ a b Turner, Mark; Kuhlmann, Ellen (2014). Trees & Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest (1st ed.). Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 352. ISBN 978-1-60469-263-1.
External links