[Buckwheats: The Genus Eriogonum in the
Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]
Douglas' Buckwheat
Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii
Synonym: Eriogonum caespitosum var. douglasii
Douglas' buckwheat as seen along Reecer Creek Road in the Wenatchee National Forest.........June 5, 2009.
Characteristics:
Douglas' Buckwheat is a low, matted shrublet, from 5-10 cm tall,
and sometimes several feet in diameter. The leaves are mostly linear to linear-spatulate
in shape, often gray or whitish haired on both surfaces. They range from 5-20
cm long and 1.5-3 mm wide. A whorl of linear leaves
may be found at about mid stem on the flower stems. No stem leaves or bracts
are found directly below the flower heads.
The inflorescence is a single rounded, thumb-sized head or clump,
about 13 mm across. They are a whitish-yellow color, sometimes bright lemon-yellow,
or may be tinged with pink or red. The pink or red may especially be seen in
the unopened flower buds (see photo below). The individual flowers are sparsely
to moderately haired on the outer surface. The involucres are shallowly conical
to bell-shaped with 6-10 spreading to reflexed lobes about 1.5-5 mm long, or
about equal in length to the tube. .
Varieties:
variety douglasii: Perianth strongly hairy,
especially towards the base. Found to the east of variety tenue, from central
Washington south through central and eastern Oregon to northern California and
the Sierra Nevada and east to western Idaho and Nevada.
variety tenue (now Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare): Perianth
sparsely hairy to occassionally glabrous or weakly glabrous. Found along the
eastern base of the Cascade Mts. from southern Yakima County in Washington south
to Wasco County in Oregon.
Habitat:
Douglas' buckwheat is found on dry, rock, open flats and slopes
often associated with sagebrush, sometimes with juniper and ponderosa pine.
Range:
Douglas' buckwheat may be found from central Washington south
to the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada, and eastward to western Idaho and
Nevada.
Douglas' buckwheat as seen around a small borrow pit along Forest Service Road 35 about one-half mile uphill from the southern forest boundary, Table Mountain, Wenatchee National Forest..........June 4, 2013.
The photo above shows Douglas' buckwheat as seen along the Hells Canyon Rim Road to the west of Buck Point.........June 28, 2008.
The photo above shows a close-up of the underside of an umbellet of Douglas' buckwheat showing the numerous, narrow lobes of the involucre. Photographed along the western section of Forest Road #46 near Roberts Butte in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest........June 25, 2008.
The photo above shows a close-up sideview of the flower of Douglas' buckwheat. Note the joint in the stipe (stalk) immediately below the flower. Photographed along the western section of Forest Road #46 near Roberts Butte in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.........June 25, 2008.
The photo above shows a close-up of the flowers of Douglas' buckwheat as photographed along the western section of Forest Road #46 near Roberts Butte in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest........June 25, 2008.
Douglas' buckwheat (var. douglasii) as photographed along the western section of Forest Road #46 near Roberts Butte in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest........June 25, 2008.
Douglas' buckwheat as seen along Reecer Creek Road in the Wenatchee National Forest.........June 5, 2009.
The photo above shows Douglas' buckwheat as seen along the Hells Canyon Rim Road to the west of Buck Point.........June 28, 2008.
Paul Slichter