Eriogonum zionis
Leafl. W. Bot. 2: 253. 1940.
Herbs, erect to spreading, 3–8(–10) × 0.5–1.5 dm, glabrous and glaucous, rarely tomentose, greenish. Stems spreading to erect, without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/8 height of plant; caudex stems absent; aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, slender to stout, solid or hollow, often fistulose, 1–2.5(–3) dm, glabrous, rarely tomentose. Leaves basal, 1 per node; petiole 3–6(–10) cm, tomentose to floccose; blade elliptic or oblong-ovate to ovate, 2–4.5(–6) × 1.5–2.5(–5) cm, lanate to densely tomentose abaxially, thinly floccose or glabrous and green adaxially, margins plane. Inflorescences narrowly virgate or racemose with involucres racemosely disposed throughout or at tips, 20–50(–60) × 5–25 cm, glabrous, rarely tomentose; branches dichotomous, upper secondaries suppressed and bearing (8–)10–15(–20) racemosely arranged involucres; bracts 3, scalelike, triangular, and 2–7 mm, or leaflike, elliptic, and 10–30 × 4–15 mm. Peduncles absent. Involucres 1 per node, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, 1.5–3 × 1.5–2.5 mm, tomentose; teeth 5, erect, 0.2–0.4 mm. Flowers 2–6(–7) mm; perianth white to yellow or bright red, glabrous; tepals connate proximal 1/4 their length, monomorphic, oblong; stamens exserted, 2–5 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes light brown, (3–)4–5(–6) mm, glabrous.
Distribution
w United States.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Perianths white to yellow | Eriogonum zionis var. zionis |
| 1 | Perianths bright red | Eriogonum zionis var. coccineum |