Eriogonum wootonii (Wooton's Wild Buckwheat)
Family
POLYGONACEAE
Synonyms
ERIOGONUM JAMESII BENTHAM VAR. WOOTONII REVEAL
Common Name
Wooton's Wild Buckwheat
| USFWS | State of NM | USFS | BLM | Navajo Nation | State Rank | Global Rank | R-E-D Code | NMRPTC Status | Strategy Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | G5T2 | 1-1-3 | R | SS |
| Documented Threats | Actions Needed |
|---|---|
No Information |
response to forest fire? |
Description
Tufted perennial herb forming mats up to 5 dm across; leaves broadly elliptic, 3-5 cm long, 1.5-3.0 cm wide, margins entire, green above, white tomentose below; inflorescences branched 3-5 times, 2-5 dm tall; bracts leaflike, those of the first node elliptic, 2-4 cm long, 0.7-1.8 cm wide; flowers clustered within involucres, yellow, each basally stipitate on short, slender stalk; seeds three-angled, not winged. Flowers June to September.
Similar Species
Eriogonum wootonii is distinguished from the varieties of Eriogonum jamesii by its broader leaves with entire margins, large inflorescence bracts and yellow flowers. Eriogonum heiracifolium is another yellow-flowered perennial wild buckwheat that occurs in the Sacramento Mountains. It does not form broad mats and its flowers are sessile (not stipatate).
Distribution
New Mexico, Lincoln and northern Otero counties, Sacramento, White and Gallinas mountains.
Habitat
Mountain slopes and small openings in lower and upper montane coniferous forest; 1,800-3,500 m (6,000-11,500 ft).
Remarks
Endemic to the Sacramento, White, and Gallinas mountains of south-central New Mexico, but relatively common within this limited range. An attractive plant that may be suitable for ornamental use in rock gardens.
Plants were discovered in the Gallinas Mountains in northern Lincoln County in 2006. This discovery represents a northern disjunction of about 60 miles.
Conservation Considerations
This plant is abundant and not significantly threatened by the land uses within its habitats. Its response to forest fire has not been studied.
Important Literature
*New Mexico Native Plants Protection Advisory Committee. 1984. A handbook of rare and endemic plants of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque.
Reveal, J.L. 1976. Eriogonum (Polygonaceae) of Arizona and New Mexico. Phytologia 34(5):409-484.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee. 2005. Flora of North America, volume 5. Oxford University Press, New York.
Information Compiled By
Robert Sivinski 1999; last updated 2007
For distribution maps and more information, visit Natural Heritage New Mexico