Images
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Morphology
- Stem
- Erect, 1 to few, unbranched to ascending-branched, silver gray fuzzy-hairy.
- Leaves
- Alternate, numerous below, very few above, short-stalked, oblanceolate, 1 to 3.5 inches long, less than .5 inch wide, densely woolly, 1 prominent vein; margins entire, often curling under; tips pointed or blunt; basal leaves frequently wither before flowering.
- Inflorescence
- Cymes, open, flattened on top, terminal or terminating branches.
- Flower
- Involucres calyx-like, top-shaped, upright, less than 1/8 inch long, shallow-toothed; perianths tiny, white to occasionally pinkish, drying reddish brown, rising above edge of involucres, densely hairy inside, glabrous outside; perianth members 6, petal-like, in 2 series, united at bases; stamens 9.
- Fruit
- Achenes, glabrous, pointed, 1-seeded; seeds small.
Ecology
- Habitat
- Dry, open, prairie slopes, waste areas, overgrazed pastures, and roadsides, on sandy or rocky soils.
- Distribution
- West 3/4 of Kansas.
Practical Information
- Forage Value
- Livestock rarely eat annual eriogonum. It offers no forage value for cattle and only fair value for sheep and deer.
- Uses
- Native Americans boiled the plant and used the resulting liquid as a lotion to treat ant bites and mouth sores. They sometimes rubbed the fresh leaves on bison and deer hides to help tan them.
Additional Notes
Comments
The sparse foliage and dense hairs of annual eriogonum help it tolerate droughts.
Quick Facts
- Plant Type
- Wildflower
- Family
- Polygonaceae - Buckwheat Family
- Life Span
- Annual
- Height
- 4-40 inches
- Last Updated
- 2007-10-26
Color Groups
White, Green & Greenish White Wildflowers
Flowering Period
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Blooms: July, August, September