Eriogonum zionis

J. T. Howell

Leafl. W. Bot. 2: 253. 1940.

Endemic
Synonyms: Eriogonum racemosum var. zionis (J. T. Howell) S. L. Welsh
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 297. Mentioned on page 235, 237, 296.

Herbs, erect to spreading, 3–8(–10) × 0.5–1.5 dm, glabrous and glaucous, rarely tomentose, greenish. Stems spreading to erect, without persistent leaf bases, up to 1/8 height of plant; caudex stems absent; aerial flowering stems erect to spreading, slender to stout, solid or hollow, often fistulose, 1–2.5(–3) dm, glabrous, rarely tomentose. Leaves basal, 1 per node; petiole 3–6(–10) cm, tomentose to floccose; blade elliptic or oblong-ovate to ovate, 2–4.5(–6) × 1.5–2.5(–5) cm, lanate to densely tomentose abaxially, thinly floccose or glabrous and green adaxially, margins plane. Inflorescences narrowly virgate or racemose with involucres racemosely disposed throughout or at tips, 20–50(–60) × 5–25 cm, glabrous, rarely tomentose; branches dichotomous, upper secondaries suppressed and bearing (8–)10–15(–20) racemosely arranged involucres; bracts 3, scalelike, triangular, and 2–7 mm, or leaflike, elliptic, and 10–30 × 4–15 mm. Peduncles absent. Involucres 1 per node, turbinate to turbinate-campanulate, 1.5–3 × 1.5–2.5 mm, tomentose; teeth 5, erect, 0.2–0.4 mm. Flowers 2–6(–7) mm; perianth white to yellow or bright red, glabrous; tepals connate proximal 1/4 their length, monomorphic, oblong; stamens exserted, 2–5 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes light brown, (3–)4–5(–6) mm, glabrous.

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Key

1 Perianths white to yellow Eriogonum zionis var. zionis
1 Perianths bright red Eriogonum zionis var. coccineum