Eriogonum jamesii is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name James' buckwheat and antelope sage. It is native to the southwestern United States, being found in: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.
Taxonomy Eriogonum jamesii was scientifically described and named by George Bentham in 1856. It is classified in the Eriogonum as part of the Polygonaceae family. It has four accepted varieties according to Plants of the World Online.
Eriogonum jamesii var. higginsii – Endemic to Utah Eriogonum jamesii var. jamesii – Native to Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Sonora Eriogonum jamesii var. simplex – Endemic to Kansas Eriogonum jamesii var. undulatum – Native to southwestern US and northern Mexico
Eriogonum jamesii has a total of six synonyms between the species and varieties jamesii and undulatum.
Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Eriogonum jamesii var. neomexicanum 1906 variety var. jamesii = het. Eriogonum jamesii subsp. typicum 1936 subspecies E. jamesii ≡ hom., not validly publ. Eriogonum jamesii subsp. undulatum 1936 subspecies var. undulatum ≡ hom. Eriogonum jamiesonii 1934 species var. jamesii = het. Eriogonum sericeum 1870 species var. jamesii = het. Eriogonum undulatum 1856 species var. undulatum ≡ hom. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
Uses The Navajo people have used Eriogonum jamesii as an oral contraceptive.archive.org Cherokee Messenger: Native American Herbal Remedies Among the Zuni people, the root is soaked in water and used as a wash for sore eyes. The fresh or dried root is also eaten for stomachaches.Camazine, Scott and Robert A. Bye 1980 A Study Of The Medical Ethnobotany Of The Zuni Indians of New Mexico. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2:365-388 (p.378) The root is carried in the mouth for a sore tongue and then buried in a river bottom.Stevenson, Matilda Coxe 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #30 (p.50) The ground blossom powder is given to ceremonial dancers impersonating anthropic gods to bring rain.Stevenson, p.91
References Citations
Sources Web sources
External links description at the University of Maryland, College Park PlantSystematics.org images from Four Corners Wildflowers Plants for a Future entry