Eriogonum nudum var. nudum
Naked wild buckwheat
Photo: parent species Eriogonum nudum · no rights reserved · CC0
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Eriogonum nudum var. nudum (Naked wild buckwheat) is a native California subshrub in the Polygonaceae family.
Naked wild buckwheat is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area in sandy or gravelly habitats at elevations of 10 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces white to yellow flowers in small clusters 3 to 5 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 20 to 40 centimeters tall that are smooth and glabrous, it forms a distinctive upright clump. Its basal leaves are 1 to 5 centimeters long, with soft white undersides and sparse upper surfaces. The plant develops delicate branched flower clusters up to 50 centimeters high, creating an airy, elegant silhouette in its native habitat.
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Sand or gravel
Elevation: 10-2100 m
California counties: Humboldt, Tulare, Siskiyou, Trinity, Del Norte, Mendocino, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Sierra, Plumas, Lake, Sonoma, Fresno, El Dorado, Placer, Lassen, Napa, Butte, Glenn, Shasta, Mono, Alpine, Colusa, Nevada, Amador, Calaveras, Marin, Madera, San Joaquin, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Yuba, Kern, San Francisco, Ventura, Inyo, Monterey
Outside California: to southern Washington. Not on immediate coast
Bloom period
Eriogonum nudum var. nudum blooms Jun-Sep.
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 nudum var. nudum native to California?
Yes. Eriogonum nudum var. nudum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriogonum nudum var. nudum bloom?
Eriogonum nudum var. nudum blooms Jun-Sep.
Where in California does Eriogonum nudum var. nudum grow?
Eriogonum nudum var. nudum occurs in Humboldt, Tulare, Siskiyou, Trinity, Del Norte, Mendocino, Mariposa, Tuolumne and other counties, at elevations of 10-2100 m.
What plant family does Eriogonum nudum var. nudum belong to?
Eriogonum nudum var. nudum is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Eriogonum.
What habitat does Eriogonum nudum var. nudum grow in?
Eriogonum nudum var. nudum grows in Common. Sand or gravel.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriogonum nudum var. oblongifolium — Harford's wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum nudum var. paralinum — Del norte buckwheat
- Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum — Little-flower wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum nudum var. psychicola — Antioch dunes buckwheat
- Eriogonum nudum var. pubiflorum — Fremont's wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum nudum var. regirivum — Kings river 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.