162. Eriogonum esmeraldense S. Watson, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts. 24: 85. 1889.
Herbs, erect to spreading, annual, (0.5-)1-5(-10) dm, glabrous or glandular proximally, mostly grayish. Stems: caudex absent; aerial flowering stems erect, solid, not fistulose, 0.5-1(-3) dm, glabrous or sparsely glandular proximally. Leaves basal; petiole 0.5-4 cm, strigose to hispid; blade obovate to round-ovate, 0.5-2.5 × 0.4-2 cm, sparsely strigose to pilose-hispid, often slightly glandular, grayish, greenish, or reddish on both surfaces, or reddish adaxially, margins plane. Inflorescences cymose, open to diffuse, 5-40(-70) × 5-50 cm; branches not fistulose, glabrous or sparsely glandular near proximal nodes; bracts 3, scalelike, 0.5-3 × 0.5-2 mm. Peduncles spreading to reflexed, straight, slender to filiform, 0.2-1.5 cm, glabrous. Involucres narrowly turbinate, 0.8-1.8 × 0.5-1.2 mm, glabrous; teeth 4-5, erect, 0.2-0.4 mm. Flowers 1-3 mm; perianth white to pinkish with greenish or reddish midribs, glabrous, minutely pustulose proximally; tepals monomorphic, oblanceolate to oblong; stamens included, 1-1.5(-1.8) mm; filaments glabrous. Achenes light brown, 3-gonous, 1.4-2.5 mm, glabrous.
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): w United States.