[Buckwheats: The Genus Eriogonum in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Arrowleaf Buckwheat, Northern Buckwheat, Smooth Arrow-leaf Wild Buckwheat

Eriogonum compositum var. leianthum

Synonym: Eriogonum tolmieanum

Inflorescence of Arrowleaf Buckwheat, Northern Buckwheat, Smooth Arrow-leaf Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. leianthum (Synonym: Eriogonum tolmieanum)

Inflorescence of Arrowleaf Buckwheat, Northern Buckwheat, Smooth Arrow-leaf Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. leianthum (Synonym: Eriogonum tolmieanum) - Inflorescence of Arrowleaf Buckwheat, Northern Buckwheat, Smooth Arrow-leaf Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. leianthum (Synonym: Eriogonum tolmieanum)

Northern buckwheat (var. leianthum) as seen along the lower sections of Forest Service Road 35 on Table Mountain, Wenatchee National Forest..........June 4, 2013. Note the glabrous involucres which helps separate this variety from the similar var. compositum which has sparsely to woolly involucres.

Arrowleaf Buckwheat, Northern Buckwheat, Smooth Arrow-leaf Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. leianthum (Synonym: Eriogonum tolmieanum)

Northern buckwheat in bloom on scablands along What Road on Department of Natural Resources lands, northwestern Yakima County, WA.............May 31, 2024.

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Erigonum compositum var. leianthum (Synonym: Eriogonum tolmieanum) - Leaves of heart-leaf buckwheat, northern buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. leianthum (Synonym: Eriogonum tolmieanum)

The image at left shows yellow and cream-colored forms of northern buckwheat blooming west of Mission Peak in the Wenatchee National Forest........July 24, 2009. Note the glabrous, green floral scapes. The image at right shows the typical leaves of northern buckwheat as seen on open slopes west of Mission Peak in the Wenatchee National Forest.........July 24, 2009. The leaves of this species are variable in width of leaf blade, but generally the width is between these two extremes. In addition, the base of the leaf tends to be slightly cordate or at least it tapers sharply to the petiole.

Arrowleaf Buckwheat, Northern Buckwheat, Smooth Arrow-leaf Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. leianthum (Synonym: Eriogonum tolmieanum)

Close-up views of arrowleaf buckwheat (var. compositum) associated with desert paintbrush (Castilleja chromosa) on rocky slopes above the John Day River in Wheeler County, north-central Oregon..........May 16, 2010. Note the glabrous upper stems and that the inflorescence is nearly hairless. Note also that the involucres of this variety are more funneliform rather than campanulate as in var. compositum.
Paul Slichter