Eriogonum sphaerocephalum
Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 407. 1836.
Subshrubs, spreading to erect, infrequently polygamodioecious, 0.5–4 × 3–5(–6) dm, floccose or glabrous. Stems: caudex spreading; aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, arising at nodes of caudex branches and at distal nodes of short, non-flowering aerial branches, (0.3–)0.5–1 dm, thinly floccose or glabrous, with a whorl of 4–8 leaflike bracts ca. midlength or proximally, linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, 1–2 × 0.1–0.4 cm. Leaves in loose to congested basal rosettes; petiole 0.05–0.3 cm, floccose or glabrous; blade linear-oblanceolate, narrowly oblanceolate, or narrowly spatulate, 1–3(–4) × (0.1–)0.3–0.6(–1) cm, lanate or tomentose to floccose or glabrous, margins entire, plane or revolute. Inflorescences capitate, compound-umbellate, or umbellate, 1–2 cm wide or 1–5 × 1–5 cm; branches thinly floccose or glabrous; bracts absent immediately below involucre. Involucres 1 per node, turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 3–4 × 2.5–4.5 mm; teeth 6–10, lobelike, slightly reflexed, 1.5–3(–5) mm. Flowers (5–)6–9 mm, including 1–2 mm stipelike base; perianth pale to bright yellow or cream to ochroleucous, villous abaxially; tepals monomorphic, obovate to oblong-ovate; stamens exserted, 4–6 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes light brown, 3–4 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.
Distribution
w United States.
Discussion
Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).
The Piute of Nevada have used a decoction of the root of Eriogonum sphaerocephalum (either var. sphaerocephalum or var. halimoides) to treat colds and diarrhea (P. Train et al. 1941).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Perianths bright yellow; inflorescences umbellate or compound-umbellate; ne California, sw Idaho, n and wc Nevada, e Oregon, and e Washington | Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sphaerocephalum |
| 1 | Perianths pale yellow to cream or ochroleucous; inflorescences umbellate, compound-umbellate, or capitate; ne California, sw or wc Idaho, c Oregon, and c Washington | > 2 |
| 2 | Leaf blades usually thinly floccose or glabrous on both surfaces; inflorescences umbellate or compound-umbellate; sw Idaho | Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. fasciculifolium |
| 2 | Leaf blades tomentose on both surfaces, or floccose adaxially; inflorescence capitate or umbellate; ne California to nw Nevada, c Oregon to wc Idaho, and c Washington. [3. Shifted to left margin.—Ed.] | > 3 |
| 3 | Leaf blades usually narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly spatulate, margins plane; ne California to nw Nevada, c Oregon to wc Idaho, and c Washington | Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. halimioides |
| 3 | Leaf blades linear-oblanceolate, margins usually revolute; nc Oregon, sc Washington | Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare |