Eriogonum nudum

Herbs, mostly erect, infrequently scapose, (0.5–)1–15(–20) × 0.5–3 dm, glabrous or floccose to tomentose, usually greenish, occasionally grayish. Stems spreading to erect, with or without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/4 height of plant; caudex stems absent; aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, slender to stout, solid or hollow, occasionally fistulose, 0.3–4(–10) dm, glabrous or lanate to tomentose or floccose. Leaves basal or sheathing up stem 0.5–4 dm; petiole 1–10 cm, glabrous or tomentose; blade oblanceolate to elliptic or ovate, 1–6 × (0.3–)1–4 cm, densely white-lanate or tomentose abaxially, tomentose to floccose or subglabrous to glabrous adaxially, margins plane or undulate-crisped. Inflorescences cymose, rarely umbellate or capitate, 2–100(–150) × 2–40(–80) cm; branches usually dichotomous, glabrous or tomentose to floccose or sparsely pubescent; bracts 3, scalelike, 0.5–3(–5) mm. Peduncles absent. Involucres 1 per node or 2–10 per cluster, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, (2.5–)3–5(–7) × (1.5–)2–4 mm, glabrous, tomentose, or sparsely pubescent; teeth 5–8, 0.2–0.6 mm. Flowers (1.5–)2–4 mm; perianth white or yellow, sometimes pink or rose, glabrous or pubescent; tepals connate proximal 1/4, monomorphic, oblong to obovate; stamens exserted, 2–5 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes light brown to brown, 1.5–3.5 mm, glabrous.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

w United States, nw Mexico.

Discussion

Varieties 13 (13 in the flora).

Several local groups of Native Americans in California used members of this species in a variety of ways. S. A. Barrett and E. W. Gifford (1933) and S. M. Schenck and E. W. Gifford (1952) reported the consumption of raw young stems that are rather moist and tasty, although there is a sour aftertaste. The Kawaiisu used the hollow stems (probably var. westonii, rather than var. pauciflorum) as drinking tubes and as pipes (M. L. Zigmond 1981). Zigmond reported also that the roots of var. pauciflorum are used as an infusion for coughs.

Members of Eriogonum nudum are food plants for the Bauer’s dotted-blue butterfly (Euphilotes baueri), the Pacific dotted-blue (E. enoptes), the gorgon copper (Gaeides gorgon), and the Mormon metalmark (Apodemia mormo).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Eriogonum nudum var. auriculatum, Eriogonum nudum var. decurrens, Eriogonum nudum var. deductum, Eriogonum nudum var. indictum, Eriogonum nudum var. murinum, Eriogonum nudum var. nudum, Eriogonum nudum var. oblongifolium, Eriogonum nudum var. paralinum, Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum, Eriogonum nudum var. pubiflorum, Eriogonum nudum var. regirivum, Eriogonum nudum var. scapigerum, Eriogonum nudum var. westonii

Key

1	Involucres and inflorescence branches tomentose to floccose; leaves usually basal	> 2
1	Involucres and inflorescence branches glabrous or, if pubescent, leaves sheathing up stems	> 3
2	Perianths white; flowering stems lanate to tomentose; leaf blades 2-3.5 cm; s Sierra Nevada	Eriogonum nudum var. regirivum
2	Perianths yellow or white to rose; flowering stems tomentose to floccose; leaf blades 2-4 cm; s Oregon, n California, wc Nevada	Eriogonum nudum var. oblongifolium
3	Leaves sheathing up stems, margins often strongly undulate-crisped	> 4
3	Leaves basal, margins plane or slightly undulate-crisped	> 8
4	Flowering stems tomentose	> 5
4	Flowering stems glabrous	> 6
5	Perianths pubescent; flowers 1.5-2 mm; involucres 3-4 mm; Sierra Nevada, California	Eriogonum nudum var. regirivum
5	Perianths glabrous; flowers 3-4 mm; involucres 4-6 mm; Coast Ranges, California	Eriogonum nudum var. decurrens
6	Leaf blades densely lanate abaxially, tomentose adaxially; involucres 5-10 per cluster; Sierra Nevada, California	Eriogonum nudum var. murinum
6	Leaf blades tomentose abaxially, less so to floccose, glabrous, or nearly so adaxially; involucres 1 per node or 2-5 per cluster; widespread, Coast Ranges, California	> 7
7	Flowering stems occasionally fistulose; involucres (2-)3-5 per cluster; perianths white to pink, rarely yellowish	Eriogonum nudum var. auriculatum
7	Flowering stems strongly fistulose; involucres 1 per node; perianths pale yellowish white to yellow or white	Eriogonum nudum var. indictum
8	Involucres 1(-2) per cluster	Eriogonum nudum var. westonii
8	Involucres 2-10 per cluster	> 12
9	Flowering stems fistulose; perianths yellow, infrequently white; c California	Eriogonum nudum var. westonii
9	Flowering stems not fistulose or, if so, plants of sw California; perianths white, rarely yellow	> 10
10	Perianths pubescent or, infrequently, glabrous; s California	Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum
10	Flowers glabrous; sw Oregon, n California, Nevada	> 11
11	Leaf blades 1-5 cm; sw Oregon, n California (including w slope of Sierra Nevada), Washington	Eriogonum nudum var. nudum
11	Leaf blades 1-2 cm; Sierra Nevada of California and adjacent desert ranges of wc Nevada	Eriogonum nudum var. deductum
12	Perianths pubescent, often yellow	> 13
12	Perianths usually glabrous abaxially, white, rarely yellow	> 14
13	Flowering stems not fistulose; leaf blades floccose or glabrous adaxially, margins plane; plants of nonaridregions	Eriogonum nudum var. pubiflorum
13	Flowering stems slightly to distinctly fistulose; leaf blades tomentose to floccose adaxially, margins undulate-crisped; plants of arid regions	Eriogonum nudum var. westonii
14	Inflorescences capitate or nearly so; alpine, Sierra Nevada	Eriogonum nudumvar. scapigerum
14	Inflorescences cymose or, if capitate, not alpine.	> 15
15	Involucres 1(-2) per cluster, 5- 7 mm; mountains of s California	Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum
15	Involucres 2-10 per cluster, 3-5 mm; mountains and foothills of c and n California or coastal bluffs. [16. Shifted to left margin—Ed.]	> 16
16	Inflorescences cymose and branched 2 or more times; involucres 2-5 per cluster; mountains and foothills of c and n California, Oregon, and Washington.	Eriogonum nudum var. nudum
16	Inflorescences capitate or cymose and branched 1-2 times; involucres 5-10 per cluster; coastal bluffs, sw Oregon, ne California	Eriogonum nudum var. paralinum