Eriogonum cernuum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name nodding buckwheat. It is native to much of western North America, where it grows in sandy and gravelly habitat, including woodland and sagebrush. It is an annual herb growing up to about 60 centimeters in maximum height with a thin, branching flowering stem. The rounded, woolly leaves are one or two centimeters wide and are mainly located about the base of the stem. The inflorescence is evenly lined with hanging involucres of flowers. The individual flowers are less than 2 millimeters wide and white to pink-tinged in color.
Taxonomy In 1848 Thomas Nuttall scientifically described a new species in Eriogonum, which he named Eriogonum cernuum. Together with its genus it is classified in the Polygonaceae family and has no accepted subspecies or varieties, but it has eight that are synonyms.
Table of Synonyms Name Year Rank Notes Eriogonum cernuum subsp. acutangulum 1936 subspecies = het. Eriogonum cernuum var. psammophilum 2003 variety = het. Eriogonum cernuum subsp. tenue 1936 subspecies = het. Eriogonum cernuum var. tenue 1870 variety = het. Eriogonum cernuum subsp. typicum 1936 subspecies ≡ hom., not validly publ. Eriogonum cernuum var. umbraticum 1896 variety = het. Eriogonum cernuum subsp. viminale 1936 subspecies = het. Eriogonum cernuum var. viminale 1968 variety = het. Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym
References
External links Jepson Manual Treatment Photo gallery