Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Eriogonum sphaerocephalum
rock buckwheat, round-headed eriogonum
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to California, east to Idaho and Nevada.

Habitat: Sagebrush or juniper flats to ponderosa pine forests at low elevations.

Flowers: May-July

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps

Description:
General:

Spreading to erect sub-shrub, freely branched, forming a dense, rounded clump to 4 dm. tall.

Leaves:

Numerous in whorls at the branch tips, broadly linear, 1-3 cm. long by 3-6 mm. wide, somewhat grayish-woolly on the underside and less so on the top

Flowers:

Flowering stems 5-10 cm. tall, terminating in an umbel of two or more pedicels, which are subtended by several leafy bracts; the involucres are cup-shaped, with 6-10 oblong lobes about 3 mm. long, about equaling the tube, reflexed to spreading; the tepals are usually yellow, but occasionally white or pinkish, 6-8 mm. long with a stipe-like base, and forming a ball-like flower cluster.

Identification Notes:

The dense, rounded clump of fine branches covered with bright yellow spheres of flowers should identify this species.

Accepted Name:
Eriogonum sphaerocephalum Douglas ex Benth.
Publication: Trans. Linn. Soc. London. 17: 407. 1836.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
(none provided)
Infraspecies:
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Eriogonum sphaerocephalum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum information.

E-Flora BC: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum atlas page.

CalPhotos: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum photos.

USDA Plants: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum information.

108 photographs:
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