Eriogonum umbellatum var. speciosum

(Drew) S. Stokes

Eriogonum, 112. 1936.

Common names: Beautiful sulphur flower
Endemic
Basionym: Eriogonum speciosum Drew Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 16: 152. 1889
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 5. Treatment on page 352. Mentioned on page 336.

Shrubs, spreading to rounded, 5–15 (–20) × 5–20 dm. Aerial flowering-stems erect, 1.5–3 dm, mostly tomentose, without one or more leaflike bracts ca. midlength. Leaves in loose rosettes; blade elliptic to ovate, 1–3 × 0.5–2.5 cm, densely gray-lanate to tomentose abaxially, floccose or glabrous and green adaxially, margins plane. Inflorescences compound-umbellate, branched 2–4 times; branches tomentose, without a whorl of bracts ca. midlength; involucral tubes 4–6 mm, lobes 3–5 mm. Flowers 7–10 (–12) mm; perianth bright-yellow.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Sep.
Habitat: Serpentine flats and slopes, oak and conifer woodlands
Elevation: 100-800 m

Discussion

Variety speciosum is known only from a few scattered locations in Humboldt and Trinity counties. These large and showy shrubs are worthy of cultivation. In early-flowering material, the flowers can be shorter than noted above.

The name var. speciosum has been widely misapplied to var. dumosum, var. polyanthum, and especially var. ahartii.

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."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.

light-brown;brown +
included +  and exserted +
3-gonous +
usually red +  and cream or yellow +
oblong +  and ellipsoid or oval +
James L. Reveal +
(Drew) S. Stokes +
deciduous +  and persistent +
stipelike +
0.13 cm1.3 mm <br />0.0013 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
Eriogonum speciosum +
awn-tipped +  and simple +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
densely gray-lanate +  and tomentose abaxially +
elliptic;ovate +
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 /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
midlength +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
3;several +
scale-like +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
grooved +, disarticulating +  and dichotomous +
not brittle +
scabrellous +
spreading +  and erect +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
Beautiful sulphur flower +
100-800 m +
curved +  and straight +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
attenuate +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
not fistulose +
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 +
Serpentine flats and slopes, oak and conifer woodlands +
2-4 times +
branched +  and compound-umbellate +
capitate +  and subcapitate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (25 cm250 mm <br />0.25 m <br />) +
cymelike +, paniclelike +, racemelike +  and spikelike +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
connate +  and free +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
tomentose +  and thinly floccose or glabrous +
turbinate +  and campanulate +
nonmembranous +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
in whorls +, opposite +, alternate +  and rosulate +
persistent +
cauline +  and basal +
bractlike +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
not swollen +
orthotropous +
accrescent +
curved +  and straight +
erect to deflexed +
bright-yellow +
cylindric +  and urceolate +
accrescent +
fleshy +, indurate +  and membranous +
with extrafloral nectaries +  and not articulate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
mostly tomentose +  and floccose or glabrous +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Flowering Jun–Sep. +
homostylous +  and 3-carpellate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (1.8 cm18 mm <br />0.018 m <br />) +
, +  and solid +
slender;stout +
persistent +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
decumbent to erect +  and prostrate +
prostrate +  and erect +
glandular +, pubescent +  and glabrous +
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 +
chambered +  and solid +
slender +  and stout +
Eriogonum umbellatum var. speciosum +
Eriogonum umbellatum +
variety +
emarginate +  and entire +
1/4 +  and 1/3 +
usually spatulate +  and obovate +
coriaceous +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br />) +
involucral +
persistent +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
membranous +
pubescent +  and glabrous +
sericeous +, lanate +  and tomentose floccose or glabrous +
dioecious +, polygamodioecious +, synoecious +  and polycarpic +
annual +, biennial +  and perennial +
tomentose +  and glabrous +
midlength +
3 +, 2 +  and 1 +