General: Grooved Heermann's Buckwheat (Eriogonum heermannii var. sulcatum), also called Brain Plant, is a rounded shrub that is fairly common on rocky limestone outcrops. The branches are stiff, fork into 3s, and are green. There are several varieties, and one has ridges along the stems.
Heermann's Buckwheat (Eriogonum heermannii) is a common component of vegetation communities in dry, well-drained gravelly areas on bajadas into the lower mountains in the Upper Sonoran (Mojave Desert Scrub and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland) life zone.
Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) |