Mountain Deathcamas
8. WILD BUCKWHEATBuckwheat Family
Eriogonum umbellatum
Wild Buckwheat is commonly associated with Sagebrush and arid regions of the West. Many species of the genus are found blooming throughout the summer season.
The spreading branches grow close to the ground and help reduce erosion, and the yearly accumulation of leaves adds humus to the soil. The flower head at the top of single stalks, with its many-branched, dense cluster in a lacy pattern, makes a fine floral display of yellow. The flowers are important to the honey bee, and the ripened seeds are diligently sought by the chipmunks, other rodents and several birds.
Wild Buckwheat
9. GREEN EPHEDRAJointfir Family
Ephedra viridis
Not a very showy plant with its pale-green stems, very small leaves and inconspicuous flowers. It is probably of greatest interest because of the use made of the plant by early pioneers in brewing a tea, which served as a tonic for various ailments. It was commonly called Brigham Tea, Squaw Tea or, more generally, Mormon tea.
The plant is a relative of the Pines and Firs and is very able to withstand drouth. It is found fairly abundantly in the Sagebrush and Saltbush areas of the Upper Sonoran Zone.
The drug ephedrine is obtained from some of the species of Ephedra found in China.