Tribes throughout western North America traditionally used different parts of the sulphur-flower buckwheat plant to treat a variety of ailments. The Klamath used a poultice of the leaves to soothe burns. The Cheyenne made a tea from powdered stems and flowers that was used as a gynecological aid for lengthy menses. The Paiute and Shoshone made a poultice of mashed leaves, and sometimes roots, to treat lameness or rheumatism, and took a hot decoction of roots for colds or stomachaches. The Kayenta Navajo used the plant as a fumigant or to induce vomiting for gastrointestinal ailments. The Kawaiisu used the mashed flowers as a salve for gonorrheal sores.

Plant Data

Names and Taxonomy

  • Common Names: Sulphur-flower Buckwheat, Sulphur-flower Wild Buckwheat, Sulphur Buckwheat, Sulphur-flower
  • Synonyms:
  • Family: Polygonaceae (Knotweed)
  • Genus Information:

Habit and Size

  • Duration: perennial
  • Habit: forb
  • Shape: spreading
  • Size: usually low growing, up to 4'
  • Stem: smooth

Leaves

  • Color: dark green
  • Shape: lanceolate
  • Edge: smooth
  • Arrangement: basal
  • Leaf Retention:

Flowers and Fruit

  • Sex: monoecious
  • Flower Color: yellow, red
  • Flower Size: 1/4 inch
  • Number of Petals: 6
  • Bloom: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
  • Fruit: achene

Habitat and Growing Conditions

  • Water Use:
  • Light: full sun to part shade
  • Soil: gravel
  • Habitat: sagebrush steppe and alpine areas

Distribution

  • Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
  • Seen: UT, NV (Mount Charleston)
  • Elevation:

Photographs

Sulphurflower Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum)

UT

Sulphurflower Buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum)

UT