Eriogonum corymbosum Benth.
 

by Tsvetelina Stefanova, Native Plants of Arizona 2007
Common names:  Crispleaf buckwheat (1).
Family: Polygonaceae (1).
Synonymy:  Eriogonum salinum (2).
Etymology:  Eriogonum; From the Greek erion (wool) and gonu (joint, knee), referring to the woolly joints of some of the species of the genus), corymbosum: full of corymbs (flat topped flower heads) (3).

Identification

Growth form:  Woody clump forming shrub or sub-shrub, 3-8 dm tall and up to 1 m across (2).
Roots:  Taproot.
Stem:  Spreading or erect, often with persistent leaf bases, up to 3/ 4 or more height of plant; aerial flowering stems erect or nearly so, slender or occasionally stout, solid, not fistulose, (0.1-) 1-2 dm, tomentose to floccose, occasionally glabrous (4).
Leaves:  Cauline, 1 per node; petiole 0.1-1.5 cm, tomentose to floccose; blade lanceolate to oblanceolate or elliptic, tomentose on both surfaces or less so to nearly glabrous and green adaxially, margins occasionally crenulate (4).
Inflorescence/flowers:  Cymose, open with many branches, 3-10 cm long, usually densely tomentose (2), 3 scale-like bracts, usually triangular or leaf-like (4), flowers are white with completely green involucres that are 1.5-2.5 mm long x 1-1.5 mm wide (2).
Similar species:  Eriogonum microthecum has reddish involucres that are 2-2.5 mm long, and leaves that are mostly 1-6 mm wide.  Eriogonum brevivaule has yellowish flowers and cauline leaves that are mostly near the base of the stem and are either linear or oblanceolate and tapering into long petioles (2).

Ecology

Life history:  Perennial, evergreen shrub (5).
Native/introduced:  Native.
Photosynthetic pathway:  C3.
Phenology:  Flowers mainly from late July to early October (2).
Distribution:  Rocky outcrops and grasslands on the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona in Mojave, Coconino, Navajo, Apache Counties (1,6).  Also in UT, CO, and WY. 

Uses
Food:  Leaves and stems - cooked. The leaves can be boiled, mixed with water and cornmeal and baked into bread.  The stalks can be pressed into cakes, dried and eaten with salt.  Medicinal:  A decoction of the leaves, taken three times a day, is a remedy for headache (5).

References

1.  USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov. 12 October 2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

2.  Arnett, M. 2000.  “Eriogonum corymbosum var. corymbosum” http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/wyndd/Plants/state_spp_abstracts/E/Eriogonum_corymbosum_corymbosum.pdf.  State Species Abstract, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database.

3. http://davesgarden.com/guides/botanary/search.php?search_text=albus&Search=Search+Botanary.  Dave's Garden.

4. Flora of North America, Vol. 5, # 16, Eriogonum corymbosum,  http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250060233

5. Moerman, D. Native American Ethnobotany. University of Michigan – Dearborn. http://herb.umd.umich.edu

6. Hogan, Phyllis.  Huisinga, K., Kampe, K.  2005.  An Anotated Catalog of the Native and Naturalized Flora of Arizona.  Revised Edition. Northern Arizona University. (p. 40-41)