Eriogonum elongatum Benth.   var. elongatum   Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family)   Native   Long-Stemmed Buckwheat

                                     August Photo

Plant Characteristics:  Perennial herbs, usually loosely branched at base, whitish-tomentose nearly throughout, leafy in lower portion, passing into elongate leafless paniculately forked infls. above, 6-12 (-18) dm. high; lvs. lance-oblong to narrowly ovate, crisped-undulate, somewhat glabrate above, white-tomentose beneath, 3-5 cm. long, cuneate at base, short-petioled; invols. remotely scattered, oblong-cylindric, 6-7 mm. long, tomentose, truncate, obscurely 5-toothed; calyx white or pinkish, glabrous, 2.5-3 mm. long, the segms. obovate, the inner slightly longer than the outer, somewhat pubescent within; fils. glabrous; aks. dark, narrow, 2-2.5 mm. long, glabrous, somewhat 3-angled.

Habitat:  Dry rocky places below 6000 ft.; Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, etc.; n. L. Calif. to Monterey Co.  Aug.-Nov.

Name:  Eriogonum is from two Greek words erion, wool and gonu, joint or knee  the type of the genus is E. tomentosum (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 677).   Latin, elongatus, removed.  (Jaeger 294).  The genus name means hairy at the nodes and the species name probably refers to the interrupted flower spike.

General:  Uncommon in the study area but fairly common on the bench below Eastbluff and photographed there. (my comments).      Almost all of our information about using the many species of Wild Buckwheat comes from Native American and Mexican uses.  The tea is a good and reliable eyewash, and many of the California Indians use the tea for washing newborns.  The flowers are especially diuretic.  The tea is also useful for premenstrual water retention and fluid retention that often occurs in the last month or two of pregnancy.  The Cahuillas, Indians of the Colorado Desert, the  San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains, use the tea for dull nagging pain in pregnancy, especially in the back and hips.  These are homely and gentle plants, with mild, well-defined uses and no toxicity.  (Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West 19).      A North American genus of over 200 species, mostly w.; some of importance as bee-plants, others with some horticultural possibility.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 677).      Other vars. in Mexico.  (Hickman, Ed. 870).    

Text Ref:  Hickman, Ed. 870; Munz, Calif. Flora 348; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 684; Roberts 33.

Photo Ref:  Aug 1 84 # 16,17; Mar 2 85 # 22.

Identity: by R. De Ruff, confirmed by F. Roberts.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 254.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 6/1/03.

                                March Photo                                                                          August Photo