Eriogonum heracleoides (common names; parsnipflower buckwheat, whorled buckwheat, and Wyeth buckwheat) is a plant of western North America that has many flowering clusters which are usually cream colored, or off-white. It can usually be found in rocky areas, such as sagebrush deserts and Ponderosa pine forests. Parsnipflower buckwheat is in the genus Eriogonum and the family Polygonaceae, which is a family of plants known as the "knotweed family". It inhabits much of the western part of the United States and southern British Columbia.
Description The parsnipflower buckwheat is an erect herbaceous perennial plant rarely more than tall. Blooming early in the summer, its flowers measure ; these are pale yellow and redden with age. The leaves are arranged in loose rosettes, covered with soft hairs measuring . The hairs feel woolly and matted, and cover both sides of the leaf. The flowers have one carpel (achene). The plant has a whorled arrangement of leaves at midpoint of the stem as well as one beneath the base of the stems. It blooms in early to mid summer. It attracts butterflies, bees, insects, and birds and is the host plant for several Palouse butterflies.
Taxonomy In 1834 Thomas Nuttall described and named Eriogonum heracleoides, placing it with the other species in the Eriogonum genus. It in turn is classified in the Polygonaceae family. The species has two accepted varieties.
Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides – Native from British Columbia to Colorado Eriogonum heracleoides var. leucophaeum – Native to just Washington and Idaho
Eriogonum heracleoides has eleven synonyms, one of the species and ten of variety heracleoides.
Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes Eriogonum angustifolium 1848 species var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum gyrophyllum 1848 species var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum heracleoides subsp. angustifolium 1906 subspecies var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum heracleoides var. angustifolium 1870 variety var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum heracleoides var. micranthum 1906 variety var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum heracleoides var. minus 1856 variety var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum heracleoides var. multiceps 1906 variety var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum heracleoides var. rydbergii 1906 variety var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum heracleoides subsp. typicum 1936 subspecies E. heracleoides ≡ hom., not validly publ. Eriogonum heracleoides var. viride 1906 variety var. heracleoides = het. Eriogonum umbellatum 1836 species var. heracleoides = het., nom. illeg. homonym. post. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
References Citations
Sources Web sources
Further reading
External links
cwnp.org: Eriogonum heracleoides Parsnipflower Buckwheat