Polygonaceae

Eriogonum sphaerocephalum

Round-Headed Desert Buckwheat

Shrub 1–2 ft. across, erect flower stems. Leaves small, in whorls at branch tips, undersides densely covered with matted hairs, upper sides less hairy. Flower cluster rounded, with whorl of leaf-like bracts at branching of flowering stalks or in midstalk. Flowers yellow or cream on 1–4 in. stalks. Grows in steppe, with sage and other brush, at low and mid elevations. Var. sphaerocephalum, the common variety in Washington and south to northern California, has bright yellow flowers, is slightly hairy.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: Early Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 6--16 inches
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe
• Found In: Wallowas, Steens, Siskiyous
• Native: Yes