Page authors: David Giblin, Don Knoke
Eriogonum thymoides
thyme buckwheat, thyme-leaf wild buckwheat
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in central Washington; central Washington to Oregon, east to Idaho.

Habitat: Sagebrush deserts, dry ponderosa pine forest openings, and open ridges in lower mountains.

Flowers: April-June

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Bumblebees, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, wasps

Description:
General:

Intricately branched, low and spreading to erect shrub 5-15 cm. tall, somewhat gray-woolly to silky throughout.

Leaves:

Leaves many, linear to linear-spatulate, 3-10 mm. long, usually revolute, somewhat wooly beneath and silky above.

Flowers:

Flowering stems 3-8 cm. tall, always with a whorl of leaves about mid-length; involucres single and terminal, top-shaped, 3-5 mm. long, the teeth 6-8, erect, triangular, 1 mm. long; perianth with a stipitate base 0.5-1 mm. long, densely hairy, the 6 segments obovate, yellow or white to rose-red, 4-6 mm. long; plants dioecious, the staminate flowers with 9 stamens, the filaments hairs only at the base, the pistillate flowers with stout, spreading styles 0.5-1 mm. long.

Fruits:

Achenes pubescent above

Identification Notes:

Separate from the similar Eriogonum douglasii by the involucre lobes; E. thymoides has erect lobes, E. douglasii, reflexed to spreading lobes.

Accepted Name:
Eriogonum thymoides Benth.
Publication: Prodr. 14: 9. 1856.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
Eriogonum sphaerocephalum Douglas ex Benth. ssp. minimum (Small) S. Stokes
Eriogonum thymoides Benth. ssp. congestum S. Stokes
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Eriogonum thymoides in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database

WA Flora Checklist: Eriogonum thymoides checklist entry

OregonFlora: Eriogonum thymoides information

E-Flora BC: Eriogonum thymoides atlas page

CalPhotos: Eriogonum thymoides photos

101 photographs:
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