[Buckwheats: The Genus Eriogonum East of the
Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]
Snow Buckwheat
Eriogonum niveum
Synonyms: Erigonum niveum var. decumbens, Eriogonum niveum var. niveum
The photo above snow buckwheat as seen north of Spokane on ice age flood sandbars above the Little Spokane River..........August 27, 2007. Note the large leaf-like bracts at the base of the inflorescence which would not be seen in the similar strict buckwheat (Eriogonum strictum).
The photo at right shows a close-up of the inflorescence of snow buckwheat as seen north of Spokane on ice age flood sandbars above the Little Spokane River.........August 27, 2007.
Characteristics:
Snow buckwheat is a variable perennial with prostrate stems,
and thus mat forming, or with erect stems up to 80 cm tall. The basal leaves
are tufted, 1.5-6 cm long with the blades elliptic to oblong-ovate or lanceolate
in shape, with the petioles at least as long as the blades. Both leaf surfaces
are tomentose or white-grayish haired.
The inflorescence is cymose, twice- to thrice-branched, with
2 or 3 leafy bracts at many of the joints or nodes. The flowers are cream or
pink in color and about 3-4 mm long. They occur in small clusters at any point
where the stems branch, or where there are pairs of bracts on the stems.
Habitat:
Snow buckwheat is found on sandy soils of the sagebrush desert
or in open ponderosa pine forests.
Range:
Snow buckwheat is found east of the Cascade Mts. from southern
British Columbia south to central Oregon, and east to west-central Idaho.
The photo above shows a close-up of the underside of a basal leaf of snow buckwheat as seen on ice age flood sandbars above the Little Spokane River to the north of Spokane, WA..........August 27, 2007.
The photo above shows snow buckwheat as seen on ice age flood sandbars above the Little Spokane River to the north of Spokane, WA..........August 27, 2007.
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Snow buckwheat leaves as seen along the Gray Butte Trail #852 at a rocky overlook about 2 miles south of the McCoin Orchard trailhead, Crooked River National Grasslands........June 24, 2017.
The photo above shows the basal leaves of snow buckwheat as seen north of Spokane along the Little Spokane River, mid August, 1997.
Photo above of Eriogonum niveum from open Ponderosa
pine forest along the Little Spokane River, north of Spokane, WA, mid August,1997.
Paul Slichter