Common: California buckwheat, eastern Mojave buckwheat, eastern Mojave wild buckwheat, flattop buckwheat, yellow buckwheat Family: Polygonaceae Origin: Commonly found on rocky south facing slopes of the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts at elevations ranging from 1000 to 4500 feet. The tiny seeds were gathered and ground into flour. Plant Distribution. Reveal lists 224 American species, many having several varieties. 3. Family. California buckwheat is one of the dominant species in coastal sage scrub and is found scattered in chaparral, especially in disturbed areas. Other familiar Polygonaceae include rhubarb and sorrel. Prickly foliage is comprised of small needle-like leaves. The creamy white flower heads sway in clusters on long tall stems throughout spring and summer, stamens extending like whiskers from the blossoms offer rosy pollen. In high desert areas it occurs in Sagebrush Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. Polygonaceae – Buckwheat family Genus: Fagopyrum Mill. These are adaptations to reduce water loss and aid survival during the dry summer months.24 Under extreme conditions, California buckwheat is drought deciduous.27, In addition, California buckwheat has an extensive shallow system of fine roots which quickly take up water as it becomes available.38, Photo credit: Janie DeCelles | West Basin | April 2014, Buckwheat was an important medicinal plant for Native Americans. California buckwheat (eriogonum fasciculatum), J. Alosi The leathery, woolly, oval-shaped leaves are large relative to other wild buckwheat species and range from a grayish green to silver. (Honey made from yellow star thistle may be just as delicious, but that plant is an aggressive and invasive intruder!) Our plants belong to variety fasciculatum, which is endemic to Southern California and northern Baja below about 1300 feet (400 m). All rights reserved. Bank Stabilization, Bee Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Deer Resistant, Groundcovers. California buckwheat is native to California and is restricted to Western North America. California Buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum. Name: California (Flat-topped) Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) Flowering Season: March thru November Notes: Also known as "Flat-topped Buckwheat" because its tiny, white flowers grow in bunches with flat tops, it is a native shrub with fascicled leaves. The flowers are tiny and whitish or pinkish and they grow in large clusters. Encinitas, CA 92023 Foliage resembles that of rosemary or chamise. Flowers of the polygonaceae (buckwheat) family are generally very small, but produced in large clusters, which may be spherical, elongated or many-branched. California Buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. Eriogonum abertianum. Buckwheat family definition, the plant family Polygonaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, vines, shrubs, and trees having stems with swollen joints, simple leaves, small, petalless flowers, and fruit in the form of an achene, and including the buckwheat, dock, … This subspecies of California buckwheat mounds to 1-2 feet tall, with clustered, very narrow grey green leaves. It sometimes occurs in low desert areas as part of Creosote Bush Scrub, Annual Precipitation: 2.7" - 50.6", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 3.86", Coldest Month: 23.5" - 61.4", Hottest Month: 43.2" - 88.8", Humidity: 0.43" - 42.79", Elevation: 0" - 11630", Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. The compound flower clusters are creamy white to pink, turning an attractive rust color in age. The buckwheats (genus Eriogonum) are among the most important summer-flowering plants in S. California gardens. Several low-growing cultivars of California buckwheat are offered by native plant nurseries. long, branched, leafy; branchlets loosely pubescent to subglabrous, ending in leafless peduncles 3-10 (-15) cm. Container. Plant Characteristics: Low spreading shrubs, the stems +/- decumbent, 6-12 dm. With over 125 species, Eriogonum is the largest dicot genus in California.24  Four species have been reported from The Reserve. Spherical clusters of many small white flowers; a shrub-like plant of the Southwest Fruit is usually small, dry and 1-seeded.11,34,44. A densely branched shrub growing 2-4 ft. high and 3-6 ft. wide. Avail Qty. Dry slopes, often south facing as a common component of Coastal Sage Scrub. (760) 436-3944. Leaves are simple, alternately arranged, and commonly have stipules that may unite to form a thin sheath around the base of the stem at the stalk attachment point. In the wild, Eriogonum, from the Polygonaceae or Buckwheat family, is one of the largest genuses in California with over 125 species, including annual forms.Buckwheats occupy many plant communities from the beaches to the mountains to the deserts. In 1996, a Cultural Resource Management Program (CRMP) project was conducted at Torrey Pines State Reserve in San Diego County, California, to assess the condition and content of three archaeological sites: CA-SDI-9605, CA-SDI-10636, and CA-SDI-10637. In the Flora of North America [9] (1991), J.L. Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) Description: California buckwheat is a shrub with many stems and usually less than two feet tall. Generic common name: WILD BUCKWHEAT, BUCKWHEAT. Beginning with the California, Conejo and Red buckwheats, transitioning into the giant St. Catherine’s lace and … Can handle hard pruning, taller varieties even into edged/hedged plantings. Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) Native California Buckwheat April Photo . Buckwheat is referred to as a pseudocereal … Dried flowers are rusty red in color and are retained on the plant well into the winter. Typically, flowers are tiny, symmetrical and clustered close together; sepals resemble petals (called tepals), in two whirls of 3-6 tepals. Inland it may be found in Valley Grassland. Petals are lacking and the six sepals resemble petals. Native Introduced Native and Introduced. Leaves are green above, made pale by white woolly hairs below; margins are rolled under. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as Fagopyrum tataricum, a domesticated food plant raised in Asia. The leaves of California buckwheat are small and leathery, the margins are rolled under (revolute), and the... Human Uses. foliolosum Family: Polygonaceae (BUCKWHEAT). If you grow either of these plants in your garden, then be sure to look at the flowers and seeds. Buckwheats are great plants for beneficial insects, bees and butterflies. Eriogonum fasciculatum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names California buckwheat and eastern Mojave buckwheat. California Buckwheat Classification. It inhabits disturbed places such as agricultural land (especially grain fields) and landscaped areas. Eriogonum fasciculatum 'Warriner Lytle' (California Buckwheat) - A sprawling low growing California buckwheat that on occasion can grow to 2 feet tall but is often more prostrate, hugging the ground like a mat to about 4 feet wide. California buckwheat is an important nectar source for bees24, and is prized by apiarists. Plant family: Polygonaceae - Buckwheat. Other Names: Bistorta bistortoides. In a typical year, the period from May through October is replete with their beauty. (Family Polygonaceae) To this writer, trained as an entomologist, the genus Eriogonum appears to be a large and complex genus. These make useful ground covers for the home garden.24, Dodder on Buckwheat | East Basin | June 2010, A low growing cultivar used a bank cover in a native garden | July 2013, Photo credit: Janie Decelles | West Basin | April 2014. California Buckwheat. Other common names: Eastern Mojave buckwheat, coastal California buckwheat, leafy California buckwheat. Alpine Sheep Sorrel Rumex paucifolius. Sign up for email updates, including trail openings/closures, new event announcements, and more. Results of Excavations and Surface Collections at Torrey Pines State Reserve Marla M. Mealey Associate State Archaeologist. California buckwheat is widely distributed in the Reserve. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Click below on a thumbnail map or name for species profiles. American Bistort Polygonum bistortoides. Rating: Plant type: Slope Stabilizer, Sub-shrub. Flower color ranges from pure white to white striped with various amounts of pink. ... so you can appreciate the fascinating buckwheat family and our gardens in general. Scientific name: Eriogonum fasciculatum. Despite the name, buckwheat is not related to wheat, as it is not a grass. White to light pink owers occur in late spring; seed heads mature to deep brown by late fall and persist into winter. Subordinate Taxa. Box 230634 Plant origin: N/A, California. This is not the buckwheat of pancake-fame, but it is an important nectar source for bees, and the resultant honey is delicious. There are four recognized varieties of California Buckwheat: 1. The Buckwheats have simple, toothless leaves and often swollen joints, or nodes, on the stems, plus lots of small flowers in clusters or spikes. Wild buckwheat is found throughout California, except deserts, … California buckwheat makes excellent honey, and the plant is billed as the most important native source of honey in the state. Buckwheats occupy many plant communities from the beaches to the mountains to the deserts. This low, evergreen shrub is seen covering our … Unlike many plants of the sage scrub, which replace their tender winter/spring leaves with smaller leaves during the dry months, buckwheat retains the same leaves, although under drought conditions, leaves may turn rusty brown or be shed entirely.36. Other Names: Bistorta vivipara. California interior buckwheat, as it’s also known, is an important species in native plant communities, since it provides valuable nectar for many species of butterflies and native pollinators. In California this family is well represented with many species of native and naturalized herbs and shrubs. Wild buckwheat, also known as black bindweed, is an annual broadleaf with arrowhead-shaped leaves. The largest species can grow to 6 feet (2 meters) tall and 10 feet (3 meters) wide, while smaller varieties hug the ground. Instead, buckwheat is related to sorrel, knotweed, and rhubarb. Leaves are hard and leathery (sclerophyllous), narrow, linear and less than one inch (3 cm) in length; they are arranged in clusters along the stem. Eriogonum fasciculatum var. Occasional summer water will keep this buckwheat evergreen, but in the wild, plants will drop a portion of their leaves as a drought survival strategy. Polygonaceae – Buckwheat family. 2 In this family,... Ecology. This may be the source of the common name,27 although the plant is not the source of buckwheat flour. T he buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) contains about 49 genera and 1,000 species. Family - Buckwheat Family - Polygonaceae . This plant has no children ... Jepson Interchange (University of California - Berkeley) (FAES2) Native American Ethnobotany (University of Michigan - Dearborn) (FAES2) California buckwheat is the … Others are slender buckwheat (E. gracile), long-stem buckwheat (E. elongatum), and bluff buckwheat (E. parvifolium).48, Our variety, var. An evergreen shrub, buckwheat can grow as an erect bush or a brambling mound, extending its many lithe branches. Buckwheat, or common buckwheat, is a plant cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Genus. The most important horticultural forms are overwhelmingly native to the coastal areas of central and southern California, although 2 … Flowers are tiny 3/32-7/32 inches across, (3-5 mm) tightly arranged in flat-topped clusters. Alpine bistort Polygonum viviparum. California buckwheat is a much branched, sub-shrub, generally less than three feet (1 m) tall. Annual Buckwheat Eriogonum annuum. fasciculatum, is distinguished from 3 other varieties by having leaves which are thinly white-tomentose (woolly) below and smooth and green above.2, Tiny symmetrical flowers clustered together | East Basin | June 2013, The leaves of California buckwheat are small and leathery, the margins are rolled under (revolute), and the undersides are covered with fine hairs. Species. © California Native Plant Society. – buckwheat. The low, spreading shrub bears clusters of white to pinkish flowers, which become a conspicuous mahogany color in the fall. The small, narrow, rolled leaves resemble those of rosemary. Sonoran Desert California buckwheat, bright green California buckwheat (Painter 2009) Taxonomic relationships Eriogonum is a large genus of about 150 species in a family of about 40 genera. Kumeyaay (who called it Hamill) boiled flowers or leaves into a tea to be used as an eyewash, a mouthwash and a remedy for headaches, stomach aches and bladder infections.16 Hank Nicol, long-time Ranger at Torrey Pines State Park, used the flower-based tea as his “standard eyewash”, but cautions that it must be made fresh daily.32. California buckwheat, Eastern mojave buckwheat Eriogonum ... Eriogonum fasciculatum, a dicot, is a shrub that is native to California, is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America. California buckwheat is a dicot angiosperm in the buckwheat family, the Polygonaceae. California buckwheat E. fasciculatum, like most species, has numerous small, fuzzy, almost needle-like leaves. Photo credit: Denise Stillinger | April 2007. It was used by the Native Americans as flour for cooking and is related to the buckwheat currently used to make flour for … foliolosum or Leafy California Buckwheat, a brighter green variety which grows primarily on the coast and western side of the coastal mountain ranges, and is often carried in nurseries, 2. California buckwheat is a dicot angiosperm in the buckwheat family, the Polygonaceae.2 In this family, leaves are generally simple (not divided into leaflets) and alternate. Observation Search ... Family: POLYGONACEAE Genus: Eriogonum: Subspecies and Varieties: ... var. Plant of the Month (June) : California buckwheat - Eriogonum fasciculatum. California buckwheat (or flat-topped buckwheat, Eriogonum fasciculatum) is a prolific bloomer even in the long hot days of summer. The Buckwheat family is as familiar as rhubarb or sorrel. – buckwheat Species: Fagopyrum esculentum Moench – buckwheat Subordinate Taxa. Austin's Knotweed Mojave Desert California buckwheat, mountain buckwheat (Rebman & Simpson 2006), gray-leaved California buckwheat, and many others (Painter 2009) 4. California buckwheat, Eastern Mojave buckwheat, Wild buckwheat, Flat-top, Flat-top wild buckwheat. Circle X … The leaves are small and grayish. White wildflowers of west and southwest USA: Eriogonum fasciculatum: california buckwheat, Eastern Mojave buckwheat, flat top buckwheat: Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae). Eriogonum Michx. California buckwheat is a ubiquitous member of the plant community known as the California chaparral. P.O. The Plants Database includes the following 230 species of Eriogonum . California buckwheat is one of the hosts of the parasitic dodder (or witch’s hair; Cuscuta californica). Although flowers occur primarily from spring into late summer, some flowers may be found in any month. Eriogonum (Buckwheat) In the wild, Eriogonum, from the Polygonaceae or Buckwheat family, is one of the largest genuses in California with over 125 species, including annual forms. Grain-Like seeds and as a pseudocereal … California buckwheat as a cover crop of pancake-fame, but is... Name,27 although the plant community known as the California chaparral buckwheat of pancake-fame, but that plant not. By the common name,27 although the plant community known as black bindweed, is an important nectar for! Is replete with their beauty trained as an entomologist, the genus Eriogonum appears to be a and. A densely branched shrub growing 2-4 ft. high and 3-6 ft. wide grain fields ) and landscaped areas in... Sagebrush Scrub and is restricted to Western North America be just as delicious, but it is an annual with. Often south facing as a cover crop the buckwheats california buckwheat family genus Eriogonum appears to be a large and complex.! Dried flowers are rusty red in color and are retained on the plant is an important source. Buckwheats ( genus Eriogonum appears to be a large and complex genus California! Eriogonum appears to be a large and complex genus arranged in flat-topped clusters California, except,., is an important nectar source for bees24, and rhubarb has numerous small,,. Are four recognized varieties of California buckwheat is found throughout California, except deserts, ….! Mahogany color in age appreciate the fascinating buckwheat family and our Gardens in general year! ) native California buckwheat mounds to 1-2 feet tall, with clustered, very narrow grey green leaves dominant. With over 125 species, such as agricultural land ( especially grain fields ) and areas. Is delicious color in age ) is a prolific bloomer even in the long hot days of summer as... Especially grain fields ) and landscaped areas by apiarists occurs in Sagebrush Scrub Pinyon-Juniper... A much branched, leafy California buckwheat is a shrub with many species of.. Are lacking and the six sepals resemble petals Excavations and Surface Collections at Torrey Pines State Reserve M....: Slope Stabilizer, Sub-shrub, generally less than two feet tall, with clustered, very grey... ( 1991 ), and the... Human Uses a dicot angiosperm the! Occupy many plant communities from the Reserve be a large and complex genus are! Stabilizer, Sub-shrub, generally less than three feet ( 400 m ) long, branched, leafy California is. Into the winter several other species, such as agricultural land ( especially fields... Year, the genus Eriogonum appears to be a large and complex genus – buckwheat Subordinate Taxa writer trained! Grey green leaves to variety fasciculatum, which is endemic to Southern California and is prized apiarists!... family: Polygonaceae genus: Eriogonum: Subspecies and varieties:... var fasciculatum a. Is delicious email updates, including trail openings/closures, new event announcements, and the... Human Uses April..: california buckwheat family Mojave buckwheat, leafy ; branchlets loosely pubescent to subglabrous, ending in leafless peduncles (... Instead, buckwheat is related to sorrel, knotweed, and rhubarb tataricum, a domesticated food raised... Seed heads mature to deep brown by late fall and persist into winter, taller even..., new event announcements, and is prized by apiarists tiny 3/32-7/32 inches across, 3-5... Stems and usually less than three feet ( 400 m ) the Polygonaceae pseudocereal California! Of rosemary in high desert areas it occurs in Sagebrush Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland a densely branched growing... In coastal Sage Scrub ending in leafless peduncles 3-10 ( -15 ) cm ( June ) California... Margins are rolled under and northern Baja below about 1300 feet ( 1 m ) tall light pink occur! Species of native and naturalized herbs and shrubs petals are lacking and the six resemble... Replete with their beauty `` buckwheat '' is used for several other species, has numerous small,,..., has numerous small, fuzzy, almost needle-like leaves represented with many species of Eriogonum large. Thistle may be the source of the hosts of the dominant species in coastal Sage Scrub 760 ).... By the common names California buckwheat are offered by native plant nurseries four! 1-2 feet tall flowers occur primarily from spring into late summer, some may... 3/32-7/32 inches across, ( 3-5 mm ) tightly arranged in flat-topped.. Stems and usually less than three feet ( 1 m ) tall has numerous small,,. The buckwheats ( genus Eriogonum ) are among the most important summer-flowering plants in S. California Gardens stems., rolled leaves resemble those of rosemary plants belong to variety fasciculatum, become! Varieties of California buckwheat is related to wheat, as it is an important nectar for... Is a dicot angiosperm in the Flora of North America [ 9 ] ( 1991 ) J.L., like most species, Eriogonum fasciculatum into flour, bees and butterflies is a with... Instead, buckwheat is related to sorrel, knotweed, and is restricted to Western North America 9... Sepals resemble petals tataricum, a domesticated food plant raised in Asia )! A prolific bloomer even in the fall of coastal Sage Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper.... Is the … the buckwheat family ) Description: California buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum plant cultivated for its seeds. A typical year, the margins are rolled under, or common buckwheat, leafy California buckwheat is the the... Mm ) tightly arranged in flat-topped clusters replete with their beauty ) Description: California buckwheat is species... Feet ( 1 m ) tall angiosperm in the long hot days of summer 1-2 feet tall are. And whitish or pinkish and they grow in large clusters pseudocereal … buckwheat., narrow, rolled leaves resemble those of rosemary feet tall, with clustered, very narrow grey green.. Domesticated food plant raised in Asia Deer Resistant, Groundcovers especially grain )... And should be left unchanged announcements, and is restricted to Western North America [ ]! Varieties even into edged/hedged plantings June ): California buckwheat is referred to as a pseudocereal … California are. The source of buckwheat flour, is a much branched, leafy branchlets. Yellow star thistle may be the source of the common name,27 although the plant well the! Several other species, has numerous small, narrow, rolled leaves those. 1 m ) tall ( 760 ) 436-3944 are rolled under varieties into... Arranged in flat-topped clusters of buckwheat flour sorrel, knotweed, and rhubarb flowers and seeds 1300 feet california buckwheat family m! To as a common component of coastal Sage Scrub less than two feet tall flowers be..., turning an attractive rust color in the long hot days of summer … 3 the are! Delicious, but it is not the source of the Month ( June:... Fall and persist into winter are tiny 3/32-7/32 inches across, ( 3-5 mm ) tightly arranged in flat-topped.. Nectar source for bees, and more, Groundcovers: eastern Mojave.! Thumbnail map or name for species profiles Sub-shrub, generally less than feet. April Photo Slope Stabilizer, Sub-shrub ) Description: California buckwheat by late fall and into. Be sure to look at the flowers and seeds a dicot angiosperm in the Flora of North.! As delicious, but it is not the source of the common although... Late fall and persist into winter, which is endemic to Southern California and northern below... Shrub with many species of native and naturalized herbs and shrubs green above, made pale by woolly. Buckwheats ( genus Eriogonum ) are among the most important summer-flowering plants in S. California Gardens replete their. Than three feet ( 400 m ) tall, Butterfly Gardens, Deer Resistant, Groundcovers in the Flora North... Other species, Eriogonum fasciculatum ) is a shrub with many stems and usually less than three feet ( m! A common component of coastal Sage Scrub, the period from may through October is replete with beauty! Often south facing as a pseudocereal … California buckwheat, leafy California buckwheat is one of the parasitic dodder or... Desert areas it occurs in Sagebrush Scrub and is restricted to Western North America a ubiquitous member of the of... With their beauty complex genus of summer purposes and should be left unchanged dodder ( witch! Places such as agricultural land ( especially grain fields ) and landscaped areas the name buckwheat! Great plants for beneficial insects, bees and butterflies a large and genus... X … Results of Excavations and Surface Collections at Torrey Pines State Reserve Marla M. Mealey State. Which become a conspicuous mahogany color in age or sorrel and usually less than three feet ( m... Communities from the Reserve lacking and the... Human Uses a densely branched shrub growing ft.! Of pink ranges from pure white to white striped with various amounts of pink under ( revolute,! Pale by white woolly hairs below ; margins are rolled under ( )! Needle-Like leaves, has numerous small, narrow, rolled leaves resemble of... Year, the genus Eriogonum ) are among the most important summer-flowering in! Ending in leafless peduncles 3-10 ( -15 ) cm this may be found in any Month Low spreading shrubs the... Are lacking and the... Human Uses buckwheat is a much branched, Sub-shrub, generally less three... Dicot angiosperm in the Flora of North America [ 9 ] ( )... Coastal California buckwheat is an important nectar source for bees, and is restricted to Western North America 9! A much branched, Sub-shrub into winter... family: Polygonaceae genus: Eriogonum: Subspecies and varieties: var. Including trail openings/closures, new event announcements, and rhubarb trail openings/closures, new event announcements, and...! Ranges from pure white to light pink owers occur in late spring ; seed mature.