Herbs, erect, herbaceous, polycarpic perennials, glabrous; taproot woody. Stems erect, without persistent leaf bases, glabrous; caudex absent; aerial flowering stems erect, stout, solid or partially hollow, slightly fistulose, jointed basally and disarticulating into ringlike segments, arising directly from the root. Leaves persistent or marcescent, basal, 1 per node; blade pilose. Inflorescences terminal, subspicate, compact; branches racemose distally, disarticulating into ringlike segments, round and smooth, sparsely pilose or glabrous; bracts 3–5, connate basally, scalelike or semileaflike. Peduncles absent. Involucres 1 per node, not appressed to inflorescence branches, campanulate; teeth 5, erect to spreading, apex acute. Flowers not attenuate at base, without stipelike base; perianth yellow to reddish yellow, hispid abaxially, glabrous adaxially; tepals connate proximally 1/4–1/3 their length, dimorphic; stamens included; filaments glabrous. Achenes light brown, not winged, 3-gonous, glabrous except for pilose beak. Seeds: embryo curved.

Distribution

Calif.

Discussion

Species 1.

The infrageneric relationships of subg. Clastomyelon are obscure. Preliminary molecular evidence suggests that it is allied to subg. Eucycla.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Eriogonum intrafractum