Eriogonum multiflorum Benth. var. multiflorum, many–flowered wild buckwheat. Annual, deep–taprooted (in sand), rosetted, 1–stemmed at base, erect with ascending flowering branches, in range to 90 cm tall; shoots with basal leaves and some cauline leaves, mostly woolly.
Stems cylindric, to 7 mm diameter, green, loosely woolly at base aging with periderm but lacking hairs.
Leaves helically alternate, simple, petiolate (basal and lower cauline leaves) and sessile (upper cauline leaves), without stipules; petiole channeled, to 7 mm long, densely woolly in channel; blade lanceolate to nearrowly elliptic, to 50 × 12 mm, tapered at base, entire and somewhat wavy (not inrolled), obtuse at tip, pinnately veined with midrib sunken on upper surface and raised on lower surface, upper surface loosely woolly and green, lower surface densely white–woolly.
Inflorescence cyme enclosed by involucre, in terminal, flat–topped array to 200 × 200 mm, inflorescence of each shoot repeatedly forked, flat–topped, to 80 × 80 mm, with to 6 orders of branching and ± open, bracteate, woolly; at the lowest node 3–branched or with 3 principal branches and 1 stalked terminal involucre, at second node mostly with 4 units, at the third node with 2 or 3 units decreasing to 2 stalked involucres at the ultimate node, loosely woolly on green surfaces with green tissue visible; principal axis 40—90 × < 1.5 mm, the next internode 15—30 × < 1 mm decreasing upward; bracts at each node 3 whorled, fused at bases and encircling axis, spreading to appressed to emerging axes, upper portion triangular to acute–ovate, 1—1.7 mm long, green; involucre 5–lobed, funnel–shaped, 1.6—2.5 × 2.2—3 mm, green, outer surface loosely woolly, inner surface densely woolly, lobes whorled or with slightly overlapping bases, ovate to deltate, ca. 1 mm, green with white margins below midpoint, veins obscure; bractlets subtending pedicel 2, slender, 1.5—2 mm long, with 1 green vein not continuous to tip, with glandular hairs approaching tip; pedicel to 3 mm long, eventually exserted from involucre.
Flower bisexual, radial, ca. 1.5 mm across; perianth 6–lobed, lobes (tepals) in 2 whorls, somewhat dimorphic; tube ± cylindric, 0.5—0.7 mm long, green with fine stripes, inner surface glossy; lobes of outer whorl oval, 1.5—2 × 1.5—2 mm, white with green midstripe, of inner whorl with base concealing perianth tube, 1.2—1.4 × 0.2—0.4 mm, white with green midstripe; stamens 9, fused to top of perianth tube; filaments ca. 1.5 mm long, white, in bud coiled at tip becoming exserted, basal portion flared and conspicuously woolly; anthers dorsifixed, dithecal, slightly exserted, ca. 0.5 mm long, purple–red aging rose, longitudinally dehiscent; pollen pale yellow; pistil 1; ovary superior, oblanceoloid 3–sided, ± 0.8 mm long, green and rose, glabrous, 1–chambered with 1 ovule; styles 3, crooked, ± 0.7 mm long, white, stigmatic at tips.
Fruit achene enclosed in persistent, dry perianth (diclesium), ovoid and 3–angled, 1.5—3 mm long, brown.
A. C. Gibson