Read about Eriogonum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Eriogonum (Greek, woolly joints). Polygonaceae. About 140 species, W. N. American (with extension into Mex.), herbs tufted sub-shrubs or slender annuals, mostly densely woolly: lvs. crowded at the base of the St., alternate or whorled, entire: fls. small, perfect, in an involucrate head, fascicle or umbel, mostly recurved or reflexed with age, mostly white, rose or yellow; perianth 6-parted; stamens 9; styles 3: fr. an achene, mostly 3-angled. Now and then some of the species are listed by dealers in native plants, but they can hardly be regarded as cult. subjects. E. compositum, Douglas, perhaps the best known, has very many minute neutral- colored fls., dull white to rosy, borne in compound umbels 5-6 in. deep and broad. B.R. 1774. The following have been advertised, but are practically unknown in our gardens: E. campanulatum, E. compositum, E. flavum, E. heracleoides, E. incanum, E. microthecum var. effusum, E. niveum, E. nudum, E. ovalifolium, E. racemosum, E. sphaerocephalum, E. thymoides, E. umbellatum. E. giganteum makes a mound or mat many feet across. G.C. III. 28:337. Descriptions of eriogonums may be readily found in the floras of the western part of the U. S.
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 Sulphur Flower Eriogonum umbellatum | ||||||||||||
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Eriogonum is the scientific name for a genus of flowering plants, in the family Polygonaceae. The genus is found in North America and is known as Wild Buckwheat. This is a highly species-rich genus, and indications are that active speciation is continuing. It includes some common wildflowers such as the California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum).
It came into the news in 2005 when the Mount Diablo Buckwheat (Eriogonum truncatum, believed to be extinct) was rediscovered.
Importance for Lepidoptera
Eriogonum species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Several of these are monophagous, meaning that their caterpillars only feed on this genus, sometimes just on a single taxon of Eriogonum. Wild buckwheat flowers are also an important source of food for these and other Lepidoptera. In some cases, the relationship is so close that Eriogonum and dependent Lepidoptera are in danger of coextinction.
Monophagous Lepidoptera on wild buckwheat include:
- Apodemia mormo (Mormon metalmark) - feeds exclusively on Eriogonum
- Apodemia mormo langei (Lange's metalmark) - only known from Eriogonum nudum ssp. auriculatum
- Chionodes dammersi - feeds exclusively on Eriogonum
- Chionodes luteogeminatus - only known from Eriogonum niveum
- Euphilotes enoptes smithi (Smith's blue butterfly) - only known from Eriogonum latifolium and Eriogonum parvifolium
Selected species
- Eriogonum androsaceum - Rock-jasmine Buckwheat
- Eriogonum arborescens - Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat
- Eriogonum cernuum - Nodding Buckwheat
- Eriogonum cinereum - Ashyleaf Buckwheat
- Eriogonum crocatum - Conejo Buckwheat or Saffron Buckwheat
- Eriogonum fasciculatum - California Buckwheat
- Eriogonum flavum - Yellow Buckwheat
- Eriogonum giganteum
- Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum - Santa Barbara Island Buckwheat
- Eriogonum giganteum var. giganteum - St. Catherine's Lace
- Eriogonum grande
- Eriogonum grande ssp. rubescens - Red Buckwheat
- Eriogonum heracleoides - Parsnip-flower Buckwheat
- Eriogonum hirtellum
- Eriogonum inflatum - Desert Trumpet, Bladderstem, Indian Pipe-weed
- Eriogonum latifolium
- Eriogonum longifolium
- Eriogonum longifolium var. harperi - Harper's Umbrella Plant
- Eriogonum molle
- Eriogonum niveum - Snow Buckwheat
- Eriogonum nudum - Naked Buckwheat
- Eriogonum nudum ssp. auriculatum
- Eriogonum nummulare - Kearney Buckwheat or Money Buckwheat
- Eriogonum ovalifolium - Oval-leaf Buckwheat
- Eriogonum parvifolium - Coast Buckwheat, Dune Buckwheat or Cliff Buckwheat
- Eriogonum pauciflorum - Smallflower Buckwheat
- Eriogonum pyrolifolium - Pyrola-leaved Buckwheat
- Eriogonum salicornioides - Glasswort Buckwheat
- Eriogonum strictum - Blue Mountain Buckwheat
- Eriogonum truncatum - Mount Diablo Buckwheat
- Eriogonum umbellatum - Sulphur Flower
- Eriogonum ursinum - Talus Buckwheat
- Eriogonum wrightii
- Eriogonum zapatoense