Eriogonum microthecum Nutt

 
by Angelina Robinson, Native Plants of Arizona 2007
Common names: Slender Buckwheat (1).
Family: Polygonaceae (1).
Synonymy:
Etymology: Eriogonum refers to wooly joints or the hairy jointed stem; micro refers to small, tiny, miniature, minute; thecum to a container or box (2) 

Identification
Growth form: Perennial subshrub, shrub (1).
Roots:
Stem: Slender spreading to erect, typically without persistent leaf bases (5).
Leaves: Blades elliptic, linear to obovate (5) with a simple rosette at base (3).
Inflorescence/flowers: Inflorescence compact, often flat topped.  Flowers tiny, in numerous clusters, yellow, white to pink, orange, rose, red, or cream, with 2 to 6 petal like sepals and a superior 1-celled ovary (3).
Fruit: 3 sided nutlet or achene (3).  
Similar species:  Eriogonum microthecum may be confused with E. jamesii (5).  

Ecology
Life history: Perennial subshrub to shrub (1, 4).
Native/introduced: Native to the Western United States (1).
Photosynthetic pathway:
Phenology:  Flowers August to October???  check.
Distribution: 3,000 to 7,500 feet in great plains grassland ; found throughout northern Arizona mostly above the Mogollon Rim (4).  Also in New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana (1).  

Uses
Eriogonum microthecum is browsed by deer, cattle, and sheep. Varieties of this species are known to be food plants for a rare blue butterfly species called Euphilotes pallescens. Medicinally this species is reported to be used by the native Piute tribes of Nevada, who use it for treatment of tuberculosis, lameness, rheumatism, and bladder infection.  It is also reported to be used by the Havasupai as a tea (5, 6).

References

1.  USDA, NRCS. 2007. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 12 October2007). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

2. Gledhill, D. 2002. The Names of Plants, 3^rd Edition. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, England.

3.  Epple, A. O.  1995.  A Field Guide to the Plants of Arizona.  Falcon Publishing.  Helena, Montana. 

4. Dittmann, L. 2007. NAZ Flora A photographic, Annotated catalog of Northern Arizona vascular plants (http://www.nazflora.org/Fabaceae.htm). Mindbird Maps & Books, Cottonwood, AZ 86326.

5. Flora of North America: www.eFloras.com. FNA Volume 5. (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.asp?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250060386 ).

6. Moerman, D. 2003. Native American Ethnobotany Database (http://herb.umd.umich.edu/). University of Michigan, Dearborn, MI 48198 USA.