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.

Eriogonum sphaerocephalum là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Rau răm. Loài này được Douglas ex Benth. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1837.