General: Yucca Buckwheat (Eriogonum plumatella), also called Flattop Buckwheat and Plume Buckwheat, is a tight cluster of upright, woolly stems that sometimes have a bunch of white flowers at the top.

Yucca Buckwheat is an uncommon component of vegetation communities along washes, bajadas, and sandy areas in the Lower Sonoran (Creosote-Bursage Flats) and Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub) life zones.

Around Las Vegas, look for Yucca Buckwheat south of town in places such as the Mojave National Preserve where large numbers can be seen along Kelbaker Road north and south of Interstate-40. They are also fairly common in the southeast corner of Gold Butte National Monument.

Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae).

Other Names: Plume Buckwheat, Flattop Buckwheat, Flat-topped buckwheat.

Plant Form: Upright stems.

Height: To about 2 feet tall; 6-8 inches across.

Bark:

Stems: Upright, thin.

Leaves:

Flowers: Inflorescence: Cluster of flowers in a head on a stalk above the leafy parts of the plant. Flowers: tiny, numerous, white to pinkish; aging to red.

Seeds:

Habitat: Dry, well-drained sandy soils in washes, sandy flats, and on lower bajadas.

Elevation: 3,000 to about 7,500 feet

Distribution: California, Nevada, and Arizona.

Comments: The buckwheats are a very diverse family with some 50 genera and 1,100 species ranging from trees to annual forbs. Many species occur around Las Vegas. Fortunately, some of these species, including Yucca Buckwheat, are easy to recognize.