Eriogonum pusillum
Yellow turbans
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Eriogonum pusillum (Yellow turbans) is a native California herb in the Polygonaceae family, recognized by yellow flowers and glandular flower cups help distinguish among many annuals.
Yellow turbans is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Foothills, southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi, southern Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, eastern Peninsular Ranges, Great Basin, and Desert regions in sandy habitats at elevations from 70 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from February to August, this plant produces yellow to red-yellow flowers in delicate clusters. Growing with slender stems up to 30 centimeters tall, the plant forms low, compact clusters with thin, glabrous branches. Its basal leaves are round to oblong-ovate, 5 to 25 millimeters long, with soft, woolly undersides and sparse hairs on top surfaces. The tiny fruits are generally elliptic and measure less than one millimeter long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 180 sympatric species; yellow flowers and glandular flower cups help distinguish among many annuals
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Sand
Elevation: -70-2600 m
California counties: Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, Los Angeles, Mono, Imperial, Modoc, Tulare, Ventura, San Benito, Lassen, San Diego, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to southeastern Oregon, western Utah, northwestern Arizona
Bloom period
Eriogonum pusillum blooms Feb-Aug.
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 pusillum native to California?
Yes. Eriogonum pusillum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Eriogonum pusillum bloom?
Eriogonum pusillum blooms Feb-Aug.
Where in California does Eriogonum pusillum grow?
Eriogonum pusillum occurs in Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo, Riverside, Los Angeles, Mono, Imperial, Modoc and other counties, at elevations of -70-2600 m.
What plant family does Eriogonum pusillum belong to?
Eriogonum pusillum is in the Polygonaceae family, genus Eriogonum.
What habitat does Eriogonum pusillum grow in?
Eriogonum pusillum grows in Common. Sand.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Eriogonum pyrolifolium — Shasta buckwheat
- Eriogonum pyrolifolium var. coryphaeum — Hairy shasta wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum pyrolifolium var. pyrolifolium — Pyrola-leaved buckwheat
- Eriogonum reniforme — Kidney-leaf wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum rixfordii — Pagoda wild buckwheat
- Eriogonum rosense var. rosense — Mount rose wild 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.