Eriogonum prattenianum
J. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, n. s. 3: 100. 1855.
Herbs or subshrubs, spreading and matted or rounded to erect, 1–5 × 3–5 dm, glabrous. Stems: caudex spreading to erect; aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, arising at nodes of caudex branches and at distal nodes of short, non-flowering aerial branches, (0.5–)1–3 dm, glabrous, with a whorl of 3–6, leaflike bracts ca. midlength, similar to leaf blades, 0.7–1 × 0.2–0.4 cm. Leaves in compact basal rosettes; petiole 0.1–0.5 cm, tomentose; blade elliptic to ovate, 0.5–1.5(–2) × 0.2–0.7 cm, densely white-tomentose on both surfaces or sometimes subglabrous and pale green adaxially, margins entire, plane. Inflorescences capitate, 0.8–2 cm wide; branches absent; bracts absent immediately below involucre. Involucres 1 per node, campanulate, 3–4 × 3–8 mm, tomentose; teeth 8–10, occasionally lobelike, erect to reflexed, 1–3 mm. Flowers 3–8 mm, including 1–1.5 mm stipelike base; perianth yellow, glabrous; tepals monomorphic, spatulate to obovate; stamens exserted, 3–4 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes light to rusty brown, 4–5 mm, glabrous.
Discussion
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Key
| 1 | Leaf blades tomentose on both surfaces; n and c Sierra Nevada, Nevada County to Mariposa County | Eriogonum prattenianum var. prattenianum |
| 1 | Leaf blades tomentose abaxially, subglabrous adaxially; s Sierra Nevada, Madera and Fresnocounties | Eriogonum prattenianum var. avium |