NPS Photo

Pretty Buckwheat

Eriogonum bicolor

Family: Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)

Subshrubs; 0.8” to 3.2” (2 to 8 cm) tall

Leaves: alternate and basal; simple; 0.2” to 0.6” (5 to 15 mm) long, 0.04” to 0.12” (1 to 3 mm) wide; woolly with hairs

Flowers: 0 petals; 3-6 sepals, usually 5 or 3+3, petaloid; 2-9 stamens in 2 series; 1 pistil; small flowers in clusters; flowers white to pink or rose; flowers 0.08” to 0.16” (2 to 4 mm) long

Pollinators: other Eriogonum species are pollinated by bees

Fruits: achene

Blooms in Arches National Park: late April, May, June

Habitat in Arches National Park: desert shrub, pinyon-juniper and grassland communities; often in sand

Location seen: Windows primitive trail, Salt Valley

Other: The genus name, “Eriogonum”, means “woolly knee” and refers to the hairs located at the swollen joints of many species of this genus. The species name, “bicolor ”, means “of two colors”.

This plant is endemic to Carbon, Emery, Garfield, Grand (the type specimen was collected in Thompson Springs), San Juan, Sevier, and Wayne Counties in Utah.

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.