Polygonaceae

Eriogonum strictum

Strict Desert Buckwheat

Mat 4–14 in. across with erect oval leaves. Basal leaves woolly on underside, stalks slender. Flower stem to 16 in., leafless, small leaf-like bract at axils of few flower stalks in wide cluster. Flowers creamy white, yellow, or tinted rose. Grows in rocky places in shrublands, mountains, at low to high elevations. Subsp. proliferum (pictured) has white flowers and pointed leaves 1/2–1 1/2 in. long, white-woolly on both sides, with brownish top surface. Subsp. strictum has shorter leaves, more open inflorescence; found in Blue and Wallowa mountains.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: All Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 6--18 inches
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe, Dry Rocky Sites, Subalpine
• Found In: Steens, Wallowas
• Native: Yes