Herbs, spreading to erect or prostrate, rarely decumbent annuals, glabrous or floccose to tomentose or lanate, sometimes sericeous puberulent, or short-pilose; taproot not woody. Stems prostrate, ascending or erect, without persistent leaf bases, lanate, tomentose, floccose, or glabrous, sometimes sericeous, puberulent, or short-pilose; caudex absent; aerial flowering stems prostrate to ascending or erect, slender to stout, solid, not fistulose, not disarticulating in ringlike segments proximally, arising directly from root. Leaves persistent or marcescent, basal, cauline, or basal and cauline, 1 per node not fasciculate; blade tomentose to floccose or glabrous, sometimes sericeous, puberulent, or short-pilose, not glandular. Inflorescences cymose, open or diffuse; bracts 3, connate basally, scalelike. Peduncles usually absent, when present restricted to proximal nodes, erect, straight, slender. Involucres 1 per node, usually appressed to the inflorescence branches, cylindric to turbinate or rarely campanulate; teeth 5, rarely 6–8, erect or rarely spreading, rarely lobelike, spreading to somewhat reflexed and dividing involucral tube nearly to base. Flowers abruptly narrowing to acute base on slender pedicel, without stipelike base; perianth cream, white to pink or rose, yellow, or red, rarely ochroleucous, usually glabrous or glandular, sometimes hispid, hispidulous, pubescent, or hirtellous abaxially, occasionally papillose, mostly glabrous adaxially; tepals connate proximally 1/4–1/2 their length, monomorphic or dimorphic; stamens included or exserted; filaments glabrous or pilose proximally. Achenes light to dark brown or rarely nearly black, not winged, lenticular to more often 3-gonous, glabrous. Seeds: embryo curved.

Distribution

w North America including n Mexico, mainly California.

Discussion

Species 28 (26 in the flora).

The species of Eriogonum subg. Oregonium not treated here are E. foliosum S. Watson and E. hastatum Wiggins; they occur in northern Mexico.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Eriogonum ampullaceum, Eriogonum argillosum, Eriogonum baileyi, Eriogonum brachyanthum, Eriogonum cithariforme, Eriogonum covilleanum, Eriogonum darrovii, Eriogonum dasyanthemum, Eriogonum davidsonii, Eriogonum divaricatum, Eriogonum eastwoodianum, Eriogonum elegans, Eriogonum evanidum, Eriogonum gracile, Eriogonum luteolum, Eriogonum mohavense, Eriogonum molestum, Eriogonum nidularium, Eriogonum nortonii, Eriogonum palmerianum, Eriogonum polycladon, Eriogonum roseum, Eriogonum temblorense, Eriogonum truncatum, Eriogonum vestitum, Eriogonum vimineum

Key

1	Involucres terminal at tips of short branchlets proximally, not appressed to branches; peduncles sometimes present	> 2
1	Involucres not terminal at tips of short branchlets proximally, usually appressed to branches; peduncles absent	> 11
2	Flowers 0.7-1.5 mm; perianth yellow or cream; arid regions of e and se California, wc Nevada	> 3
2	Flowers 1-2.5(-3) mm; perianth yellow or white to pink, rose, or red; Coast Ranges and w Sierra Nevada, California	> 4
3	Perianths yellow; flowers 0.7-1 mm; inflorescences diffuse, spreading; Mojave Desert, se Kern, ne Los Angeles, and nw San Bernardino counties, California	Eriogonum mohavense
3	Perianths cream; flowers 1-1.5 mm; inflorescences narrow; Great Basin, s Mono and n Inyo counties, California, w Mineral and Esmeralda counties, Nevada	Eriogonum ampullaceum
4	Stems glabrous; involucres sessile or, if short-pedunculate, plants from western foothills of Sierra Nevada, California	> 5
4	Stems tomentose or, if glabrous, involucres pedunculate at proximal nodes and plants from Coast Ranges of California	> 7
5	Basal leaf blades oblong-ovate, reniform, or rounded to cordate; involucres 3-4 mm, 5-toothed; n California from San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Mariposa counties n to sw and sc Oregon	Eriogonum luteolum
5	Basal leaf blades suborbiculate or round to reniform; involucres 2-4 mm, 5-8-toothed; wc California from Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties s to Santa Barbara and Ventura counties	> 6
6	Involucres 2-2.5 mm; 5-toothed; flowers 2-2.5(-3) mm, perianth minutely puberulent, white to rose or yellow in fruit; Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties s to w Kern and nw Ventura counties, California	Eriogonum covilleanum
6	Involucres 3-4 mm; 6-8-toothed; flowers 1-2 mm, perianth glabrous, white to rose in fruit; c Monterey and w San Benito counties, California	Eriogonum nortonii
7	Involucres glabrous; e Monterey, w San Benito, and s Santa Clara (extirpated) counties, California	Eriogonum argillosum
7	Involucres tomentose; Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, and Solano counties, California	> 8
8	Leaves strictly basal, blade suborbiculate; styles 0.1-0.3 mm; sw Fresno County, California	Eriogonum eastwoodianum
8	Leaves basal and subbasal, or basal and cauline, suborbiculate or narrowly oblong to ovate; styles 0.2-1 mm; Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, and Solano counties, California	> 9
9	Involucres 2.5-3.5(-4) mm; styles 0.2-0.3 mm; e Contra Costa and s Solano counties, California (extinct)	Eriogonum truncatum
9	Involucres (1.5-)1.8-2.5 mm; styles 0.2-1 mm; Fresno, Kern, Merced Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo counties, California	> 10
10	Perianths not pustulose; achene beaks granular; involucres 2-2.5 mm; leaves basal and subbasal, rarely cauline; nw Kern, se Monterey, and ne San Luis Obispo counties, California	Eriogonum temblorense
10	Perianths pustulose; achene beaks papillose; involucres (1.5-)1.8-2 mm; leaves basal and often cauline; w Fresno, sw Merced, and se San Benito counties, California	Eriogonum vestitum
11	Leaf blades puberulent to short-pilose or sericeous; flowering stems and inflorescence branches puberulent to short-pilose or sericeous	> 12
11	Leaf blades tomentose at least abaxially; flowering stems and inflorescence branches glabrous or tomentose to floccose or lanate	> 13
12	Outer tepals oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate; plants puberulent to short-pilose; n Arizona, nw and sw Colorado, nw New Mexico, e and wc Utah, sw Wyoming	Eriogonum divaricatum
12	Outer tepals fan-shaped and hooded; plants sericeous; nw Arizona, se Nevada, sc Utah	Eriogonum darrovii
13	Perianths densely pubescent, white to rose; nw California	Eriogonum dasyanthemum
13	Perianths glabrous or sparsely glandular, not densely hairy, white, creamy white, yellow, rose, or red; widespread	> 14
14	Involucres (1.8-)2-5(-7) mm; outer tepals not fan-shaped	> 15
14	Involucres 1-1.5 mm or, if 2 mm, outer tepals fan-shaped or slightly hastate proximally and plants primarily of Great Basin and warm desert regions	> 21
15	Leaf blades oblong-obovate to oblanceolate or oblong; flowering stems and inflorescence branches lanate to tomentose or floccose or, if glabrous, plants not of central Sierra Nevada	> 16
15	Leaf blades round-ovate to rounded, reniform, or nearly so or, if not, inflorescence branches glabrous and plants of Sierra Nevada; flowering stems and inflorescence branches glabrous or tomentose to floccose	> 18
16	Involucres (3.5-)4-5 mm, cylindric; outer tepals narrowly obovate to oblong; achenes 1.8-2(-2.2) mm; California and sw Oregon	Eriogonum roseum
16	Involucres (1.8-)2-3 mm, turbinate; outer tepals lanceolate to oblong or oblong-obovate; achenes 1-2 mm; California	> 17
17	Inflorescence branches straight; basal leaf blades oblanceolate to oblong, (0.8-)1-4(-6) cm, petiole not winged; involucres (1.8-)2-3 mm; flowers 1.5-3 mm; perianth white to pink or yellow; California	Eriogonum gracile
17	Inflorescence branches upwardly curved; basal leaf blades oblanceolate or elliptic to ovate or nearly rounded, 1-2 cm, petiole occasionally winged; involucres 2.5-3 mm; flowers 1.5-2 mm, perianth white to rose; sw California	Eriogonum cithariforme
18	Inflorescence branches floccose, especially proximally; leaves basal; perianths white to rose or pale yellow; nw California, w Idaho, n Nevada, c and e Oregon, se Washington	Eriogonum vimineum
18	Inflorescence branches glabrous or occasionally tomentose, or if floccose then leaves basal and cauline; stems usually 1; perianths white to pink, red, or yellow; California	> 19
19	Involucres (3.5-)4-5(-7) mm; plants 4-10 dm; s California	Eriogonum molestum
19	Involucres 2-4 mm; plants 1-5 dm; California n to Oregon, e to Arizona and Utah	> 20
20	Leaves basal and cauline, involucres 3-3.5 mm, and flowers 1.5-2 mm on floccose inflorescence branches or, if leaves strictly basal and stems glabrous, involucres 2-3.5 mm and plants of foothills and mid-elevation of central Sierra Nevada; perianths white to rose; n California	Eriogonum luteolum
20	Leaves basal; involucres 3-4 mm; flowers 1.5-2 mm; perianth white to pink or red, rarely yellow; flowering stems glabrous; w Arizona, s California, s Nevada, s Utah	Eriogonum davidsonii
21	Stems glabrous or, if tomentose, then flowers glandular and plants of eastern slope of Sierra Nevada and Great Basin; outer tepals oblong to oblong-obovate	> 22
21	Stems tomentose to floccose; outer tepals narrowly to broadly fan-shaped or slightly hastate proximally	> 24
22	Perianths yellow or pale yellowish, rarely whitish; flowers 0.6-0.8(-1) mm;e California, w Nevada, sc Oregon	Eriogonum brachyanthum
22	Perianths white to rose; flowers 1-2 mm; e and s California, sc Idaho, Nevada, e Oregon, sw Utah, e Washington	> 23
23	Flowers 1.5-2 mm; perianths usually minutely glandular, rarely glabrous; flowering stems and inflorescence branches glabrous or tomentose; e and s California, sc Idaho, Nevada, e Oregon, sw Utah, e Washington	Eriogonum baileyi
23	Flowers 1-1.5 mm; perianths glabrous; flowering stems and inflorescence branches glabrous; sw California	Eriogonum elegans
24	Outer tepals slightly hastate proximally in fruit; flowers 0.8-1.2 mm; involucres campanulate, 1-2 mm; montane habitats; c Riverside, w San Bernardino, and nc San Diego counties, California (presumed extinct)	Eriogonum evanidum
24	Outer tepals fan-shaped; flowers 1-3.5 mm; involucres 1-2.5 mm; desert habitats; not of c Riverside, w San Bernardino, and nc San Diego counties, California	> 25
25	Leaves cauline; leaf blades narrowly oblanceolate to broadly elliptic; plants narrowly erect, (0.5-)1-6 dm; perianths white, becoming pink or red; c and s Arizona, se California (presumed extirpated), w and s New Mexico, w Texas, s Utah	Eriogonum polycladon
25	Leaves basal; leaf blades suborbiculate or rounded to cordate; plants usually spreading, 0.5-1.5(-3) dm; perianths white to pink or pale yellow to yellow, rarely creamy white, becoming pink or red; widespread	> 26
26	Perianths pale yellow or yellow, rarely creamy white, becoming red; outer tepals broadly fan-shaped; inflorescences diffuse, branches inwardly curved distally; achenes 1-1.3 mm; nw Arizona, e California, sw Idaho, Nevada, se Oregon, sw Utah	Eriogonum nidularium
26	Perianths white to pink or pale yellowish, outer tepals narrowly fan-shaped; inflorescences open, branches not inwardly curved distally; achenes 1.5-1.8 mm; Arizona, e California, nw and sw Colorado, sw Idaho, Nevada, w New Mexico, Utah	Eriogonum palmerianum