Eriogonum Divaricatum, Divergent Wild Buckwheat

Stems of eriogonum divaricatum are often red, otherwise greenish, and hairy, covered by short, soft hairs, as are the leaves and flower stalks. Most leaves are basal - blades are nearly round, one inch in length, on stalks of up to 2 inches, while the few stem leaves are narrower, elliptic to oblong, and shorter, less than half an inch in length. Plants are low-growing, just a few inches tall, with ascending to spreading stems.

The inflorescence is a cyme; the stalk divides several times, with flowers at the division point and the branch tips. Flowers are yellow, the perianth six-lobed, with a covering of yellow glandular hairs. Stamens are about the same length as the lobes. Flowers are subtended by stalked bracts, about 0.2 inches long.

This species is most widespread in northeast Arizona; it also has scattered populations in Utah, New Mexico and southeast Wyoming, plus far southwest Colorado.