Pacific Buckwheats
(Eriogonum spp.)

angulosum        angle stem             P    CA,GB
apiculatum       San Jacinto            T    sCA
caespitosum      cushion                P    SN,seOR
cernuum          nodding                P    eCS/SN,GB
cinereum         ashyleaf               CR   swCA
collinum         juniper                P    GB
compositum       arrow leaf             P    nCA,GB
crocatum         Conejo                 C    swCA
davidsonii       Davidson's             CT   sCA
deflexum         skeleton weed          P    seOR,CA,BJ
elatum           tall                   P    GB,nMD
elongatum        long stem              P    swCA,BJ
fasciculatum     California             CT   sCA
flavum           yellow                 P    GB
gracile          slender                P    csCA
heermannii       Heermann's             T    sCA,MD
heracleoides     Hercules               P    GB
incanum          frosty                 HP   SN
inflatum         desert trumpet         P    MD,CD
kennedyi         southern alpine        T    sCA
latens           onion-head             P    eSN
latifolium       coast                  P    wcCA,wOR
lobbii           Lobb's                 P    SN,nwCA
marifolium       marum leaf             HP   CS,SN
molestum         pineland               CT   sCA
nudum            naked                  THP  CA,OR,WA,BC
ovalifolium      oval leaf              HP   CA,OR,WA
parishii         Parish's               P    sSN,sCA,BJ
pusillum         puny                   P    MD
pyrolaefolium    pyrola leaf            P    nCA,OR,WA,BC
reniforme        kidney leaf            P    MD,CD,BJ
saxatile         rock                   TP   csCA
spergulinum      spurry                 P    cCA,OR,cWA
sphaerocephalum  round head             P    eSN,GB
strictum         Blue Mountains         P    GB
thurberi         Thurber's              P    sCA
trichopes        little desert trumpet  P    MD,CD
umbellatum       sulfur                 THP  CA,OR,WA
ursinum          bear valley            P    nSN
vimineum         wicker stem            P    CA,GB
viridescens      slender                P    csCA
wrightii         Wright's               T    sCA,MD,CD

C - Michael Charters's website
T - Tom Chester's website
H - Elizabeth Horn's "Sierra Nevada Wildflowers"
P - Peterson's Guide "Pacific States Wildflowers"
R - Peter Raven's "Native Shrubs of Southern California"

CS - Cascades
SN - Sierra Nevada
GB - Great Basin
MD - Mojave Desert
CD - Colorado Desert
BC - British Columbia
WA - Washington
OR - Oregon
CA - California
BJ - Baja
e - east
w - west
n - north
s - south
c - central

Key for Southern California Species:
----------------------------

fasciculatum  shrub, very common
cinereum      bushy shrub, coastal
davidsonii    annual, but bushy, lots of flower tufts along stems
molestum      like davidsonii
elongatum     tall shrub, no leaves on long stems
gracile       tall slender branches, lined with lots of little tufts of flowers
nudum         tall naked stem, dark basal oval leaves
vimineum      erect red wicker-like stem, hugging elongated cylinders at heads
umbellatum    narrow/spatulate leaves at base and nodes, bright yellow flowers
crocatum      funky bunched white spatula basal leaves, coastal
saxatile      bunched white wedge-like basal leaves
wrightii      slightly woody climbing tufts of white narrow basal leaves
kennedyi      very low cushion, 8000-11500 feet
ovalifolium   dense tufted white mat
parishii      densely branched reddish thread-like stems, tiny flowers
deflexum      flowers pendant, thick green rigid stems
thurberi      tiny wad of cotton at base of each squared petal
angulosum     angled stem
apiculatum    San Jacinto
heermanii     rare

Name: E. angulosum, angle stem
Key: angled stem
Stem: whitish hairy, angled
Leaf: broadly lanceolate, wavy
Height: 4-12"
Where: Sandy soils

Name: E. apiculatum, San Jacinto
Key: San Jacinto

Name: E. cinereum, ashyleaf
Key: bushy shrub, coastal
Leaf: alternate, edges not curled under, white hair below
Where: chaparral

Name: E. crocatum, Conejo
Key: funky bunched white spatula basal leaves, coastal

Name: E. davidsonii, Davidson's
Key: annual, but bushy, lots of flower tufts along stems
Leaf: basal, kidney to round, white wooly esp. beneath
Where: under pines, up to ~8000 feet, southern California

Name: E. deflexum, skeleton weed
Key: flowers pendant, thick green rigid stems
Height: 0.5-2.5 feet
Where: Rocky slopes of deserts

Name: E. elongatum, long stem
Key: tall shrub, no leaves on long stems
Leaf: wavy, lance, 1-2", whorls, short petiole, whitish below
Height: 4-6 feet
Where: chaparral, coast ranges, to 6000 feet

Name: E. fasciculatum, California
Key: shrub, very common
Leaf: narrow, edges curled under, with/without white hair
Where: not desert or high mtns

Name: E. gracile, slender
Key: tall slender branches, lined with lots of little tufts of flowers
Leaf: usually withered at flower time
Where: common in low open woodland, central to southern California

Name: E. heermanii, Heerman's
Where: Joshua Tree / Pinion-Juniper woodlands, so Cal mtns to Mojave

Name: E. kennedyi, southern alpine
Key: very low cushion, 8000-11500 feet
Leaf: white wooly
Where: so Cal mtns

Name: E. molestum, pineland
Similar to E. davidsonii, but larger and fewer inflorescenses

Name: E. nudum, naked
Key: tall naked stem, dark basal oval leaves
Leaf: clumps of wooly hair on long petioles
Height: 1/2-3 feet
Where: common all over

Name: E. ovalifolium, oval leaf
Key: dense tufted white mat
Leaf: wooly, egg-shaped, not on stem
Height: 4-8"
Where: desert, alpine, 4000-12000 feet, mts

Name: E. parishii, Parish's
Key: densely branched reddish thread-like stems, tiny flowers
Where: mts of southern Sierras through Baja, 4000-9000 feet

Name: E. saxatile, rock
Key: bunched white wedge-like basal leaves
Flower: chain of heads along somewhat-branched stems
Where: 4000-12000 feet, rocky ridges, central-southern California

Name: E. thurberi, Thurber's
Key: tiny wad of cotton at base of each squared petal
Leaf: basal, oblong, top green, bottom white felt, long petiole
Height: 4-12"
Where: southern California

Name: E. umbellatum, sulfur
Key: narrow/spatulate leaves at base and nodes, bright yellow flowers
Height: 4-12"
Where: common, mtns, 4000-10000 feet

Name: E. vimineum, wicker stem
Key: erect red wicker-like stem, hugging elongated cylinders at flowerhead
Leaf: rounded, basal
Where: Great Basin, all California

Name: E. wrightii, Wright's
Key: slightly woody climbing tufts of white narrow basal leaves
Where: 5000-11000 feet, open conifer forest