E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Eriogonum umbellatum Torr. var. umbellatum
sulphur buckwheat (sulphur-flower buckwheat)
Polygonaceae (Buckwheat family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

© Ryan Batten  Email the photographer   (Photo ID #66746)

E-Flora BC Static Map
Distribution of Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum
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Species Information

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General:
Perennial herb from a strong taproot and freely branched crown, forming loose flat mats up to 60 cm wide; stems prostrate to ascending, simple, several, 10-30 cm tall/long, usually white-woolly.
Leaves:
Basal leaves elliptic to spoon-shaped, grey- to white woolly-hairy on the lower surface, greenish on the upper, the blades 1-3 (4) cm long, narrowed gradually to the stalks; stem leaves lacking.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a large, simple or compound umbel, subtended by a whorl of leaflike bracts; involucres bell-shaped, hairy, 4-6 mm long, the 6-12 lobes 2-3 mm long, often reflexed; perianths creamy or pale to deep yellow, often tinged with rose or purple, smooth, 6-l0 lobed; flowers usually imperfect.
Fruits:
Achenes, smooth.
Notes:
Two closely related varieties occur in BC:

1. Perianth white to cream or pale yellow................. var. subalpinum (Greene) M. E. Jones

1. Perianth bright yellow...................... var. umbellatum

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Dry grasslands, shrublands, forest openings, rock outcrops and scree slopes in the steppe to alpine zones; frequent in SC and SE BC; S to CO, UT and OR.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Ecology

Ecological Framework for Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum

The table below shows the species-specific information calculated from
original data (BEC database) provided by the BC Ministry of Forests and Range.
(Updated August, 2013)

Site Information
Value / Class

Minimum

Average

Maximum

Elevation (metres) 1371 1371 1371
Slope Gradient (%) 30 30 30
Aspect (degrees)
[0 - N; 90 - E; 180 - S; 270 - W]
130 130 130
Soil Moisture Regime (SMR)
[0 - very xeric; 4 - mesic;
8 - hydric]
2 2 2
Modal Nutrient Regime
Class
B
Number of field plots
 species was recorded in:
1
Modal BEC Zone Class
MS
All BEC Zones (# of stations/zone) species was recorded in: MS(1)

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Additional Photo Sources

General References