[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: 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: Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii (Synonym: Eriogonum caespitosum var. douglasii)

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.

Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii

The photo above shows Douglas' buckwheat as seen along the Hells Canyon Rim Road to the west of Buck Point.........June 28, 2008.

Involucre of Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii

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.

Close-up of a flower of Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii

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.

Flowers of Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii

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.

Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii

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: 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.

Douglas' Buckwheat: Eriogonum douglasii var. douglasii (Synonym: Eriogonum caespitosum var. douglasii)

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