Eriogonum exilifolium explained

Eriogonum exilifolium is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name dropleaf buckwheat. It is native to Wyoming and Colorado in the United States.[1] [2]

This species is a mat-forming herb growing up to about 10 centimeters tall. The leaves, located around the base of the plant, are linear or lance-shaped and measure up to 6 centimeters long. They are white and woolly on the undersides but green and mostly hairless on the upper surfaces. The inflorescence is a cluster of white flowers.[3] This species was long confused with Eriogonum pauciflorum, a more common species, and it got its own name in 1967. It is closely related to Eriogonum coloradense.[2]

This species grows in dry basins on hills and plains that are mostly free of other vegetation. Sometimes it grows in sagebrush. It grows on a number of soil types. It can be found growing alongside the endangered species Phacelia formosula.[2]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Eriogonum+exilifolium Eriogonum exilifolium.
  2. Anderson, D.G. (2006, January 27). Eriogonum exilifolium Reveal (dropleaf buckwheat): A technical conservation assessment. [Online]. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region.
  3. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250060280 Eriogonum exilifolium.