| Eriogonum exilifolium | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Genus: | Eriogonum |
| Species: | E. exilifolium |
| Binomial name | |
| Eriogonum exilifolium | |
Eriogonum exilifolium is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name dropleaf buckwheat. It is native to Wyoming and Colorado in the United States. [1] [2]
This species is a mat-forming herb growing up to about 10 centimeters tall. The leaves, located around the base of the plant, are linear or lance-shaped and measure up to 6 centimeters long. They are white and woolly on the undersides but green and mostly hairless on the upper surfaces. The inflorescence is a cluster of white flowers. [3] This species was long confused with Eriogonum pauciflorum , a more common species, and it got its own name in 1967. It is closely related to Eriogonum coloradense . [2]
This species grows in dry basins on hills and plains that are mostly free of other vegetation. Sometimes it grows in sagebrush. It grows on a number of soil types. It can be found growing alongside the endangered species Phacelia formosula . [2]