Corymbed Buckwheat (Fremont's Buckwheat)
Eriogonum corymbosum Family: Polygonaceae – Buckwheat Family Shrubs or subshrubs; clump-forming; 2” to 3.9' (0.7 to 12 decimeters) tall Leaves: alternate and subbasal; simple; entire; can have hairs; margins entire; 0.28” to 3.6” (0.7 to 9 cm) long; 0.32” to 1.12” (0.8 to 2.8 cm) wide Flowers: 0 petals; 3+3, petaloid sepals; 9 stamens; 1 pistil; small flowers in clusters; flowers white, suffused with pink, red, or yellow; flower color changes as ages – white flowers generally turn pink or red and yellow ones generally turn red to rust; flowers 0.06” to 0.18” (1.5 to 4.5 mm) long Pollinators: bees Fruits: achene Blooms in Arches National Park: August, September, October, November Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub, grassland, hanging garden, and pinyon-juniper communities Location seen: park road mile 0 to 2.5, CourthouseTowers area, park road mile 11 to 12, Fiery Furnace Other: The genus name, “Eriogonum”, means “woolly knee” referring to the hairs located at the swollen joints of many species of this genus. The species name, "corymbosum”, means “corymblike” referring to the flat-topped arrangement of the flower head. This family's scientific name, “Polygonaceae”, is derived from the Greek words "poly" which means "many" and "goni" which means "joint", a reference to many species that have swollen nodes or joints. |
Did You Know?
Pinyon pines do not produce pine nuts every year. These delicious nuts can only be harvested every three to seven years. This irregular schedule prevents animals from adapting to an abundance of pine nuts and guarantees that at least some nuts will become new pine trees instead of a quick meal.