Eriogonum glandulosum
Glandular wild buckwheat, Glandular Wild Buckwheat
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.3
Eriogonum glandulosum (Glandular wild buckwheat) is a native California herb in the Polygonaceae family.
Glandular wild buckwheat is a native annual found in northern and northeastern desert mountains in sandy or gravelly habitats at elevations of 900 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from May to November, this plant produces delicate white to pale pink flowers in small clusters on glandular branches. Growing 5 to 25 centimeters tall with slender, glandular stems, it forms a compact and fragile annual structure. Its basal leaves are round, approximately 5 to 15 millimeters long, covered in fine hairs with a slightly glandular surface. The tiny flowers, measuring 1 to 1.8 millimeters long, have narrowly lanceolate perianth lobes that give the plant a subtle, intricate appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species; geographically isolated
Habitat and range
Habitat: Locally common. Sand or gravel
Elevation: 900-1600 m
California counties: Inyo, San Bernardino, Los Angeles
Outside California: southwestern Nevada
Bloom period
Eriogonum glandulosum blooms May-Nov.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.3
How to tell it apart
vs Adenostoma: Eriogonum has flowers in cup-like involucres; Adenostoma has tiny white rose-family flowers in spikes.; vs Salvia: Eriogonum has six similar perianth parts; Salvia has two-lipped tubular flowers.; vs Fagopyrum: Eriogonum has flowers in involucred clusters; Fagopyrum has loose branching sprays without involucres.; vs Artemisia: Eriogonum has cup-surrounded flower clusters; Artemisia has tiny inconspicuous heads in drooping sprays.; vs Chorizanthe: Eriogonum has multiple flowers per involucre; Chorizanthe has one flower per involucre with spiny teeth.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eriogonum glandulosum native to California?
Yes. Eriogonum glandulosum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriogonum glandulosum bloom?
Eriogonum glandulosum blooms May-Nov.
Where in California does Eriogonum glandulosum grow?
Eriogonum glandulosum occurs in Inyo, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, at elevations of 900-1600 m.
What plant family does Eriogonum glandulosum belong to?
Eriogonum glandulosum is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Eriogonum.
Is Eriogonum glandulosum rare or endangered?
Eriogonum glandulosum carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriogonum gossypinum — Cottony buckwheat
- Eriogonum gracile — Slender buckwheat
- Eriogonum gracile var. gracile — Slender woolly wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum gracile var. incultum — Palomar mountain wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum gracilipes — White mountains wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum gracillimum — Rose-and-white wild buckwheat
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.