Eriogonum fusiforme

Small

Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 33: 56. 1906.

Common names: Grand Valley desert trumpet
Endemic
Synonyms: Eriogonum inflatum var. fusiforme (Small) Reveal
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 386. Mentioned on page 383.

Herbs, spreading, annual, (0.3–) 0.5–4 dm, essentially glabrous, green or occasionally yellow-green. Stems: caudex absent; aerial flowering-stems erect, usually hollow and fistulose, 0.5–1.5 dm, glabrous, villous proximally. Leaves basal; petiole 1–3 cm, hirsute; blade round, 0.5–3 × 0.5–2.5 cm, short-hirsute and greenish on both surfaces, margins plane. Inflorescences cymose, open, spreading, 5–30 × 5–30 cm; branches fistulose, glabrous; bracts 3, scalelike, 1–2 × 1–1.5 mm. Peduncles erect, straight, filiform to capillary, 1–2 cm, glabrous. Involucres turbinate, 1–1.2 × 0.7–1 mm, glabrous; teeth (4–) 5, erect, 0.4–0.6 mm. Flowers 1.3–1.6 mm; perianth yellow with greenish to reddish midribs, densely hirsute with coarse curved hairs; tepals monomorphic, ovate; stamens exserted, 1.3–1.8 mm; filaments sparsely pubescent proximally. Achenes light-brown, lenticular to 3-gonous, 1.3–1.8 (–2) mm, glabrous.


Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat: Heavy clay, sometimes gravelly flats and slopes, saltbush and greasewood communities, pinyon and/or juniper woodlands
Elevation: (900-)1100-2000 m

Discussion

Eriogonum fusiforme is widespread and common in southwestern Wyoming (Sweetwater County), eastern Utah (Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Kane, San Juan, Uintah, and Wayne counties), and adjacent western Colorado (Delta, Garfield, Mesa, Montrose, and Rio Blanco counties). In a “good” year, millions of individuals carpet the heavy clay flats and slopes (typically Mancos Shale), especially in Utah and Colorado. The plants can be so abundant and closely arranged that it can be difficult to walk through the tangle of stems and branches. This species is absolutely distinct from E. inflatum and no intermediates have ever been observed.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property.

... more about "Eriogonum fusiforme"
0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
light-brown +
included +  and exserted +
lenticular +  and 3-gonous +
usually red +  and cream or yellow +
oblong +  and ellipsoid or oval +
James L. Reveal +
deciduous +  and persistent +
stipelike +
Eriogonum sect. Ganysma +
awn-tipped +  and simple +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
short-hirsute +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
not awn-tipped +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
scale-like +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
grooved +, disarticulating +  and dichotomous +
not brittle +
scabrellous +
fistulose +
spreading +  and erect +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
Grand Valley desert trumpet +
Colo. +, Utah +  and Wyo. +
(900-)1100-2000 m +
unisexual +, , +  and bisexual +
not attenuate +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.16 cm1.6 mm <br />0.0016 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
slender;stout +
unwinged +  and winged +
black +, red +, brown +  and yellowish +
exserted +  and included +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
spheroidal +, 4-gonous +, lenticular +, biconvex +, discoid +, 3-gonous +  and 2-gonous +
Heavy clay, sometimes gravelly flats and slopes, saltbush and greasewood communities, pinyon and/or juniper woodlands +
open +  and cymose +
capitate +  and subcapitate +
racemose +, paniculate +  and cymose-paniculate +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
cymelike +, paniclelike +, racemelike +  and spikelike +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
connate +  and free +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br />) +
nonmembranous +
0.07 cm0.7 mm <br />7.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
in whorls +, opposite +, alternate +  and rosulate +
marcescent +
persistent +
bractlike +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
greenish +  and reddish +
not swollen +
orthotropous +
accrescent +
erect to deflexed +
filiform;capillary +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
cylindric +  and urceolate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
with extrafloral nectaries +  and not articulate +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Flowering Apr–Jul. +
homostylous +  and 3-carpellate +
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club +
, +  and solid +
slender;stout +
persistent +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
spreading +  and erect +
glabrous +, short-hispid +, villous +, hirsute +, floccose +  and tomentose +
penicillate +, fimbriate +  and capitate +
deciduous +  and persistent +
2-lobed +  and cylindric +
coriaceous +  and membranous +
consisting of a series +  and tubular +
distinct +
erect;spreading or recurved +
spreading;erect +
Eriogonum inflatum var. fusiforme +
chambered +  and solid +
slender +  and stout +
Eriogonum fusiforme +
Eriogonum subg. Ganysma +
species +
emarginate +  and entire +
1/5 +  and 1/2 +
coriaceous +
0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br /> (0.06 cm0.6 mm <br />6.0e-4 m <br />) +
persistent +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
annual +  and perennial +
yellow-green +  and green +
synoecious +, monocarpic +, polycarpic +  and , +
3 +, 2 +  and 1 +