''Eriogonum'' is a
genus of flowering plants in the family
Polygonaceae
The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus '' Polygonum'', and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 17 ...
. The genus is found in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the ...
and is known as wild buckwheat. This is a highly species-rich genus, and indications are that active
speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species. The biologist Orator F. Cook coined the term in 1906 for cladogenesis, the splitting of lineages, as opposed to anagenesis, phyletic evolution within ...
is continuing. It includes some common
wildflowers such as the
California buckwheat (''Eriogonum fasciculatum'').
The genus derived its name from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
word ''erion'' meaning 'wool' and ''gonu'' meaning 'knee or joint'. The author of the genus,
Michaux, explained the name as describing the first named species of the genus (''E. tomentosum'') as a wooly plant with sharply bent stems (''"planta lanata, geniculata"''). Despite sharing the common name "buckwheat", ''Eriogonum'' is part of a different genus than the cultivated European
buckwheat
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fagop ...
and than other plant species also called
wild buckwheat.
It came into the news in 2005 when the
Mount Diablo buckwheat (''Eriogonum truncatum'', believed to be extinct) was rediscovered.
Ecology
''Eriogonum'' species are used as food plants by the
larva
A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle.
T ...
e of some
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described spec ...
(butterflies and moths). An example of a butterfly that uses this plant for food is the ''
Lycaena heteronea''. Several of these are
monophagous, meaning their
caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
s only feed on this genus, sometimes just on a single
taxon
In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...
of ''Eriogonum''. Wild buckwheat flowers are also an important source of food for these and other Lepidoptera. In some cases, the relationship is so close that ''Eriogonum'' and dependent Lepidoptera are in danger of
coextinction.
Monophagous Lepidoptera on wild buckwheat include:
* ''
Apodemia mormo'' (Mormon metalmark) – feeds exclusively on ''Eriogonum''
** ''
Apodemia mormo langei'' (Lange's metalmark) – only known from ''Eriogonum nudum'' ssp. ''auriculatum''
* ''
Chionodes dammersi'' – feeds exclusively on ''Eriogonum''
* ''
Chionodes luteogeminatus'' – only known from ''Eriogonum niveum''
* ''Euphilotes enoptes smithi'' (
Smith's blue butterfly) – only known from ''Eriogonum latifolium'' and ''Eriogonum parvifolium''
* ''Euphilotes battoides allyni'' (
El Segundo blue butterfly
The El Segundo blue (''Euphilotes battoides allyni'') is a rare subspecies of the square-spotted blue butterfly. It is endemic to a small dune ecosystem in Southern California that used to be a community called Palisades del Rey, close to the ...
) - only known from ''Eriogonum parvifolium''
Additionally, bees of the
sagebrush steppe
Sagebrush steppe is a type of shrub-steppe, a plant community characterized by the presence of shrubs, and usually dominated by sagebrush, any of several species in the genus '' Artemisia''.[California buckwheat were and still are used as medicinal and food crops by Native American tribes.]
Selected species
'' ''">Eriogonum hirtellum''
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''Eriogonum ursinum''
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* ''Eriogonum abertianum'' – Abert's buckwheat
* ''Eriogonum alatum'' – winged buckwheat
* ''Eriogonum alexanderae''[Grady, B. R. and J. L. Reveal. (2011)]
New combinations and a new species of ''Eriogonum'' (Polygonaceae: Eriogonoideae) from the Great Basin Desert, United States.
''Phytotaxa'' 24 33–38.
* '' Eriogonum aliquantum'' – Cimarron buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum alpinum'' – trinity buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum ampullaceum'' – mono buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum androsaceum'' – rock-jasmine buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum angulosum'' – anglestem buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum apiculatum'' – San Jacinto buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum apricum'' – Ione buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum arborescens'' – Santa Cruz Island buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum argillosum'' – clay buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum argophyllum'' – Sulphur Hot Springs buckwheat, Ruby Valley buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum baileyi'' – Bailey's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum brachyanthum'' – shortflower buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum brachypodum'' – Parry's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum brandegeei'' – Brandegee's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum breedlovei'' – Paiute buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum brevicaule'' – shortstem buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum butterworthianum'' – Butterworth's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum caespitosum'' – matted buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum calcareum''[
* '' Eriogonum callistum'' – Tehachapi buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum cedrorum'' – The Cedars buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum cernuum'' – nodding buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum cinereum'' – ashyleaf buckwheat, coastal buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum cithariforme'' – Cithara buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum codium'' – basalt desert buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum coloradense'' – Colorado buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum compositum'' – arrowleaf buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum congdonii'' – Congdon's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum contiguum'' – Reveal's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum corymbosum'' – crispleaf buckwheat
** '' Eriogonum corymbosum var. nilesii'' – Nile's wild buckwheat, Las Vegas buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum covilleanum'' – Coville's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum crocatum'' – conejo buckwheat or saffron buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum crosbyae'' – Crosby's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum cusickii'' – Cusick's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum dasyanthemum'' – chaparral buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum davidsonii'' – Davidson's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum deflexum'' – flatcrown buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum deserticola'' – Colorado Desert buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum diatomaceum'' – Churchill Narrows buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum diclinum'' – Jaynes Canyon buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum domitum''][
* '' Eriogonum douglasii'' – Douglas buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum elatum'' – tall woolly buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum encelioides'' – Encelia buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum eremicola'' – Telescope Peak buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum evanidum'' – vanishing wild buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum exilifolium'' – dropleaf buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum fasciculatum'' – California buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum flavum'' – yellow buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum giganteum'' – Saint Catherine's lace
** ''Eriogonum giganteum'' var. ''compactum'' – Santa Barbara Island buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum gilmanii'' – Gilman's buckwheat
]
* '' Eriogonum gossypinum'' – cottony buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum gracile'' – slender woolly buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum gracilipes'' – White Mountain buckwheat, raspberry buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum gracillimum'' – rose and white buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum grande'' – redflower buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum gypsophilum'' – gypsum wild buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum heermannii'' – Heermann's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum helichrysoides'' – Strawflower wild buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum heracleoides'' – parsnip-flower Buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum hirtellum'' – Klamath Mountain Buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum hoffmannii'' – Hoffmann's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum hookeri'' – Hooker's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum incanum'' – frosted buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum inflatum'' – desert trumpet, bladderstem, Indian pipe-weed
* '' Eriogonum intrafractum'' – napkinring, jointed buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum jamesii'' – James' buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum kelloggii'' – red mountain buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum kennedyi'' – Kennedy's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum latens'' – Inyo buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum latifolium'' – seaside buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum libertini'' – Dubakella Mountain buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum lobbii'' – Lobb's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum longifolium'' – longleaf buckwheat
** '' Eriogonum longifolium var. harperi'' – Harper's umbrella plant or Harper's buckwheat
** '' Eriogonum longifolium var. gnaphalifolium'' – scrub buckwheat or long-leaf wild Buckwheat
** '' Eriogonum longifolium'' var. ''longifolium'' – longleaf buckwheat
** '' Eriogonum longifolium var. lindheimeri'' – Lindheimer's long-leaf ''Eriogonum'' or Lindheimer's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum luteolum'' – goldencarpet buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum maculatum'' – spotted buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum marifolium'' – marumleaf buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum microthecum'' – slender buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum mohavense'' – Western Mojave buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum molestum'' – pineland buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum nervulosum'' – Snow Mountain buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum nidularium'' – birdnest buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum niveum'' – snow buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum nortonii'' – pinnacles buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum nudum'' – naked buckwheat
** ''Eriogonum nudum'' ssp. ''auriculatum''
* '' Eriogonum nummulare'' – Kearney buckwheat, money buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum ochrocephalum'' – whitewoolly buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum ovalifolium'' – cushion buckwheat, oval-leaf buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum palmerianum'' – Palmer's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum panamintense'' – Panamint Mountain buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum parishii'' – mountainmist
* ''Eriogonum parvifolium
''Eriogonum parvifolium'' is a species in the family Polygonaceae that occurs on dune formations in the coastal area of Central and Southern California. This evergreen shrub grows to a height of 30 to 100 centimeters with a spread of approxima ...
'' – coast buckwheat, dune buckwheat or cliff buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum pauciflorum'' – Fewflower buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum pelinophilum'' – clay-loving wild buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum pendulum'' – waldo buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum plumatella'' – yucca buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum prattenianum'' – Nevada City buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum prociduum'' – prostrate buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum pusillum'' – yellowturbans
* '' Eriogonum pyrolifolium'' – pyrola-leaved buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum reniforme'' – kidneyleaf buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum rixfordii'' – pagoda buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum rosense'' – rosy buckwheat, mountain rose buckwheat
** '' Eriogonum rosense var. beatleyae'' – Beatley's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum roseum'' – wand buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum salicornioides'' – glasswort buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum saxatile'' – hoary buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum shockleyi'' – cowpie buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum siskiyouense'' – Siskiyou buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum soredium'' – Frisco buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum spectabile'' – Barron's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum spergulinum'' – spurry buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum sphaerocephalum'' – rock buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum strictum'' – blue mountain buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum ternatum'' – ternate buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum tiehmii'' – Tiehm's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum thomasii'' – Thomas' buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum thurberi'' – Thurber's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum thymoides'' – thymeleaf buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum tomentosum'' – dogtongue wild buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum trichopes'' – little desert trumpet
* '' Eriogonum tripodum'' – tripod buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum truncatum'' – Mount Diablo buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum umbellatum'' – sulphurflower buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum ursinum'' – talus buckwheat, Bear Valley buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum vimineum'' – wickerstem buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum viridescens'' – twotooth buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum visheri'' – Dakota wild buckwheat, Visher's buckwheat
* '' Eriogonum wrightii'' – bastardsage
* '' Eriogonum zapatoense''
* '' Eriogonum zionis'' – Zion buckwheat
References
External links
Genus treatment in the ''Jepson Manual''
Mt. Diablo buckwheat rediscovered
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2707277
Polygonaceae genera