Cithara Buckwheat

The graceful, upwardly curved branch segments of Eriogonum cithariforme generally are distinctive in older plants, although an occasional individual of E. davidsonii may have this feature. A distinction between E. cithariforme and E. roseum also is troublesome, as in young material the curved branch segments are not always obvious.

Herbs, spreading to erect, 2-3(-5) dm, glabrous or tomentose, greenish or reddish. Stems: aerial flowering stems erect, 0.5-1 dm, glabrous or tomentose. Leaves basal and sometimes cauline; basal: petiole 1-5 cm, tomentose to floccose, often slightly winged, blade oblanceolate or elliptic to ovate or nearly rounded, 1-2 × 0.5-1.5(-2) cm, tomentose abaxially, floccose to glabrate and grayish to greenish adaxially; cauline: petiole 0.5-2 cm, floccose, blade elliptic, 0.3-1 cm × 0.2-0.7 cm, similar to basal blade. Inflorescences cymose, distally uniparous due to suppression of secondary branches, open, 5-25 × 5-25 cm; branches usually inwardly curved, glabrous or tomentose; bracts 0.5-2.5 × 0.5-2 mm. Peduncles absent. Involucres somewhat appressed to branches, turbinate, 2.5-3 × 1.5-2 mm, glabrous; teeth 5, erect, 0.2-0.4 mm. Flowers 1.5-2 mm; perianth white to rose, glabrous; tepals monomorphic, oblong-obovate; stamens included, 1-1.5 mm; filaments pilose proximally. Achenes brown, 3-gonous, 1-1.5 mm.

Eriogonum gracile Bentham var. cithariforme (S. Watson) Munz; E. vimineum Douglas ex Bentham var. cithariforme (S. Watson) S. Stokes

Eriogonum cithariforme is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name cithara buckwheat.

It is endemic to the Transverse Ranges and Southern Outer California Coast Ranges of Southern California. It grows in sandy areas in a number of local habitat types, such as chaparral.