Eriogonum jamesii

Eriogonum jamesii
Secure
Secure (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Polygonaceae
Genus: Eriogonum
Species:
E. jamesii
Binomial name
Eriogonum jamesii
Varieties
  • E. j. var. higginsii
  • E. j. var. jamesii
  • E. j. var. simplex
  • E. j. var. undulatum
Synonyms
  • Eriogonum jamiesonii
  • Eriogonum sericeum
  • Eriogonum undulatum

Eriogonum jamesii is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common name James' buckwheat and antelope sage. It is native to the southwestern United States, being found in: Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Nebraska.

Taxonomy

Eriogonum jamesii was scientifically described and named by George Bentham in 1856. It is classified in the Eriogonum as part of the Polygonaceae family. It has four accepted varieties according to Plants of the World Online.

Eriogonum jamesii has a total of six synonyms between the species and varieties jamesii and undulatum.

Table of Synonyms
Name Year Rank Synonym of: Notes
Eriogonum jamesii var. neomexicanum Gand. 1906 variety var. jamesii = het.
Eriogonum jamesii subsp. typicum S.Stokes 1936 subspecies E. jamesii ≡ hom., not validly publ.
Eriogonum jamesii subsp. undulatum (Benth.) S.Stokes 1936 subspecies var. undulatum ≡ hom.
Eriogonum jamiesonii Ingw. 1934 species var. jamesii = het.
Eriogonum sericeum Torr. & A.Gray 1870 species var. jamesii = het.
Eriogonum undulatum Benth. 1856 species var. undulatum ≡ hom.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym

Uses

The Navajo people have used Eriogonum jamesii as an oral contraceptive. Among the Zuni people, the root is soaked in water and used as a wash for sore eyes. The fresh or dried root is also eaten for stomachaches. The root is carried in the mouth for a sore tongue and then buried in a river bottom. The ground blossom powder is given to ceremonial dancers impersonating anthropic gods to bring rain.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ NatureServe 2026.
  2. 1 2 POWO 2026a.
  3. ↑ POWO 2026c; POWO 2026e.
  4. ↑ POWO 2026b.
  5. ↑ Hassler 2026.
  6. ↑ POWO 2026d.
  7. ↑ POWO 2026e.
  8. ↑ POWO 2026a; POWO 2026c; POWO 2026e.
  9. ↑ archive.org Cherokee Messenger: Native American Herbal Remedies
  10. ↑ Camazine, Scott and Robert A. Bye 1980 A Study Of The Medical Ethnobotany Of The Zuni Indians of New Mexico. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2:365-388 (p.378)
  11. ↑ Stevenson, Matilda Coxe 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians. SI-BAE Annual Report #30 (p.50)
  12. ↑ Stevenson, p.91

Sources

Web sources

  • Hassler, Michael (2 August 2026). "Eriogonum jamesii in the Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 26.08". World Plants. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  • NatureServe (31 July 2026). "Eriogonum jamesii". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  • POWO (2026a). "Eriogonum jamesii Benth". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  • POWO (2026b). "Eriogonum jamesii var. higginsii S.L.Welsh". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  • POWO (2026c). "Eriogonum jamesii var. jamesii". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  • POWO (2026d). "Eriogonum jamesii var. simplex Gand". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
  • POWO (2026e). "Eriogonum jamesii var. undulatum (Benth.) S.Stokes ex M.E.Jones". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 25 August 2026.