Eriogonum heermannii var. humilius

(S. Stokes) Reveal

Aliso 7: 226. 1970.

Common names: Heermann’s Great Basin wild buckwheat
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Eriogonum heermannii subsp. humilius S. Stokes Eriogonum, 90. 1936 (as heermanni)
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 305. Mentioned on page 304, 306.

Shrubs or subshrubs, spreading to rounded, usually sparsely branched, 3–7 × 5–12(–15) dm. Leaf blades oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.8–1.5 × 0.4–0.8 cm, floccose or glabrous abaxially. Inflorescences 3–15(–23) × 5–20 cm; branches usually diffuse with dichotomously arranged involucres, slender, round, smooth, glabrous, not spinose. Involucres campanulate, 1–1.5 × 1.5–3 mm. Flowers 2.5–3 mm; perianth white.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Oct.
Habitat: Limestone or volcanic flats, washes, and slopes, saltbush and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper and montane conifer woodlands
Elevation: 1100-2500 m

Discussion

Variety humilius is the common expression of the species in the northern Great Basin, extending from Mono and Inyo counties, California, northeast across Nevada (Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, and Washoe counties). Plants are usually scattered and the variety is rarely a local dominant; it often grows in volcanic soils. Variety humilius is worthy of cultivation; the large shrubs, when in full flower, can be spectacular.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
James L. Reveal +
(S. Stokes) Reveal +
Eriogonum heermannii subsp. humilius +
Heermann’s Great Basin wild buckwheat +
Calif. +  and Nev. +
1100-2500 m +
Limestone or volcanic flats, washes, and slopes, saltbush and sagebrush communities, pinyon-juniper and montane conifer woodlands +
Flowering Jun–Oct. +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Eriogonum heermannii var. humilius +
Eriogonum heermannii +
variety +