Eriogonum gracile
Slender buckwheat
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Eriogonum gracile (Slender buckwheat) is a native California herb in the Polygonaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Slender buckwheat is a California native annual herb found in various bioregions, growing in open grasslands and dry habitats at elevations of 100 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from June to September, this delicate plant produces white to pink or pale yellow flowers in small clustered heads less than 3 millimeters wide. Growing with slender, generally tomentose stems 15 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms a sparse, branching structure. Its leaves are primarily basal and stem-based, with blades 1 to 4 centimeters long and 0.5 to 2 centimeters wide, covered in soft, woolly hairs. The tiny fruit is 1 to 2 millimeters long, nestled within small, hairy involucres.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Mateo, San Diego, Ventura, Orange, Contra Costa, San Luis Obispo, Tulare, Santa Clara, Kern, Santa Barbara, Fresno, Merced, Alameda, Colusa, Mono, Santa Cruz, Yolo, Monterey, San Benito, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Solano, Napa, El Dorado, Madera, Lassen, Nevada, Tuolumne, Lake, Inyo, Mariposa
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 gracile native to California?
Yes. Eriogonum gracile is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Eriogonum gracile grow?
Eriogonum gracile occurs in Riverside, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Mateo, San Diego, Ventura, Orange, Contra Costa and other counties.
What plant family does Eriogonum gracile belong to?
Eriogonum gracile is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Eriogonum.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- 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
- Eriogonum grande — Island buckwheat
- Eriogonum grande var. grande — Island buckwheat
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.