Distribution: On both sides of the Cascades in Washington; British Columbia south to California, east to Montana, Colorado and New Mexico.
Habitat: Sagebrush deserts to alpine rocky ridges.
Flowers: June-September
Origin: Native
Conservation Status: Not of concern
A variable, freely-branching perennial, usually forming low mats up to 6 dm. broad, but occasionally the branches ascending to 3 dm.
Variable, oblong to broadly obovate, acute or rounded, gradually or abruptly narrowed to a slender petiole, the blade 1-3 cm. long and the petiole 1/3 to equal length, usually gray-wooly on the under surface and green on the top.
Flowering stems up to 30 cm. longer but usually much shorter, leafless or with 1 or more small, scattered bracts; inflorescence a simple or compound, open umbel, the rays subtended by whorls of narrow bracts; involucre narrowly cup-shaped, the lobes 2-3 mm. long, about equal to the tube, usually reflexed; tepals glabrous, usually cream to yellow with a stipitate base, the lobes 2.5-4 mm. long, lengthening to up to 7 mm. in fruit.
The large mat of green leaves which are gray on the under surface, and the yellow or cream flowers will usually identify this species.
Publication: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York. 2: 241. 1827.
Southern Washington to southcentral Oregon, east to Idaho and Montana In the Cascades, southern Washington to Northern California In mountainous areas on both sides of the Cascades in Washington; southern British Columbia, east to Idaho and Montana, and south in the Rockies to Colorado.PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Eriogonum umbellatum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Eriogonum umbellatum checklist entry.
E-Flora BC: Eriogonum umbellatum atlas page.
CalPhotos: Eriogonum umbellatum photos.
USDA Plants: Eriogonum umbellatum information.
