Redroot Buckwheat

Redroot Buckwheat
(Eriogonum racemosum

The reference book ("A Utah Flora", by Stanley Welsh) states that this buckwheat species occurs in many of our Utah counties, but I have never seen it except at this one location in central Utah.

Several individual plants were growing close together among the sagebrush, each about one foot tall. I had no idea what they were, but took several photographs. Thanks to Bill Gray, for help in identification.

The leaves on the plant grow as a basal rosette, as with many of the other buckwheat species.

The blossoms are arranged in a spike (raceme) along the flower stalk. New buds open at the top, as the stalk grows taller.