Rock Buckwheat

The Piute of Nevada have used a decoction of the root of Eriogonum sphaerocephalum (either var. sphaerocephalum or var. halimoides) to treat colds and diarrhea (P. Train et al. 1941).

Subshrubs, spreading to erect, infrequently polygamodioecious, 0.5-4 × 3-5(-6) dm, floccose or glabrous. Stems: caudex spread-ing; aerial flowering stems erect, slender, solid, not fistulose, arising at nodes of caudex branches and at distal nodes of short, non-flowering aerial branches, (0.3-)0.5-1 dm, thinly floccose or glabrous, with a whorl of 4-8 leaflike bracts ca. midlength or proximally, linear-oblanceolate to oblanceolate, 1-2 × 0.1-0.4 cm. Leaves in loose to congested basal rosettes; petiole 0.05-0.3 cm, floccose or glabrous; blade linear-oblanceolate, narrowly oblanceolate, or narrowly spatulate, 1-3(-4) × (0.1-)0.3-0.6(-1) cm, lanate or tomentose to floccose or glabrous, margins entire, plane or revolute. Inflorescences capitate, compound-umbellate, or umbellate, 1-2 cm wide or 1-5 × 1-5 cm; branches thinly floccose or glabrous; bracts absent immediately below involucre. Involucres 1 per node, turbinate-campanulate to campanulate, 3-4 × 2.5-4.5 mm; teeth 6-10, lobelike, slightly reflexed, 1.5-3(-5) mm. Flowers (5-)6-9 mm, including 1-2 mm stipelike base; perianth pale to bright yellow or cream to ochroleucous, villous abaxially; tepals monomorphic, obovate to oblong-ovate; stamens exserted, 4-6 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes light brown, 3-4 mm, glabrous except for sparsely pubescent beak.