Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum Torr. resized
1 media/cch2 plant_thumb.jpg 2022-02-28T11:20:56-08:00 Yair Tabibi 078fed945287deb72c47d884b791a31f6b31eab5 40021 1 plain 2022-02-28T11:20:56-08:00 20210917 141245 UCLA Herbarium - funded by the National Science Foundation award number 1802199 20210917 141245 Yair Tabibi 078fed945287deb72c47d884b791a31f6b31eab5This page has annotations:
- 1 2022-02-28T11:40:15-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4 Roots Nicole Cohen 3 plain 2022-02-28T11:41:38-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4
- 1 2022-02-28T11:43:18-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4 Small Leaves Nicole Cohen 2 plain 2022-02-28T11:44:01-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4
- 1 2022-03-08T14:51:18-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4 Collection Information Nicole Cohen 2 plain 2022-03-08T14:52:17-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4
- 1 2022-03-08T14:52:44-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4 Flower of E. umbellatum Nicole Cohen 2 plain 2022-03-08T14:54:21-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4
- 1 2022-02-28T11:42:18-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4 Root Abundance Nicole Cohen 2 plain 2022-02-28T11:42:46-08:00 Nicole Cohen 77b59277f6b2a55cc085a928224030c702d38cf4
This page is referenced by:
-
1
2022-02-16T11:36:36-08:00
Beautiful Buckwheat: Comparisons Between Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum Torr. and Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum
47
This entry examines two plants under the Polygonecae family, and of the same genus: Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum Torr., and Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum. The former plant is commonly known as sulphur-flower buckwheat and was collected from the UCLA herbarium. The latter plant, known as Santa Barbara Island Buckwheat, was collected from the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden. Comparisons between the two plants are of note and bring to light both similarities and differences within their roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. The two plants are examined from the bottom up, thus prompting inquiry into its individualistic functions and further the potential medicinal and historical uses of the plants. - By: Nicole Cohen and Yair Tabibi
plain
2022-03-08T15:42:11-08:00
Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum Torr., a member of the Polygonecae family, is colloquially known as sulphur-flower buckwheat, a common yet significant plant. This plant in particular was collected by G.N. Jones on July 16, 1933. The image of the collected Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum Torr. plant begins with its roots, which are quite extensive, almost half the size of the plant itself. The length and abundance of the roots may indicate that the plant is efficient at absorbing water from the soil. The thinness, yet abundant nature, of the roots may also be an indicator of absorption efficacy.
Furthermore, the abundance of roots, both thick and thin, as well as their length, indicates the potential for the plant's ability to thrive in dry climates, where water is scarce. This plant in particular was collected from the Oregon woods. Its genus counterpart, Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum, was collected from the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical garden on a hill with dry soil in direct sunlight. It stands to reason that E. umbellatum could potentially thrive in similar conditions.
The herbarium plant has many small leaves that branch off from the stem. This may indicate that the plant is prone to sunlight-filled areas. The abundance of leaves would aid in the photosynthesis process, collecting energy from the sun. The plant's leaves dry in brown color, and they are relatively uniform in shape, almost in a tear-dropped or almond-shaped formation. This shape may aid in the function of the plant, either bringing water to the center of the plant or dropping water downwards towards the root. Because the plant was collected from the woods, the function of the leaves could also be a method of preservation, mitigating rainfall or moisture from oversupplying the plant.
E. giganteum, while larger in terms of size, is very similar to E. umbellatum in terms of the shape of its leaves. The color of the underside of the E. umbellatum leaves differs from its surface. The darker color of its surface, while potentially a side effect of drying, could additionally function as an attractant towards sunlight. This aspect of the plant’s leaves is mirrored in E. giganteum. One significant difference between the two plants is revealed in the stems, the herbarium plant containing long, thin stems, while the plant from the botanical garden is thicker, nearly double the size, which may reflect the difference in location climate. Another difference that is present between the two plants emerges from the flowers; E. umbellatum is populated by clustered yellow flowers in the shape of an umbrella, which could be for ease of pollination, and E. giganteum is populated by far less abundant flowers in the shape of small stars. Additionally, E. giganteum flowers do not contain the bright yellow of its counterpart, instead consisting of a dark purple or gray.
The materia medica version of our plant, its scientific name being Eriogonum umbellatum Torr, was supplied by the Kew Royal Botaanicaal Gardens, and was collected from the Upper Geyser Basin on Yellowstone Park on august 6, 1897. The plant was collected by P.A. Rydberg and Ernst A. Bessey. The collected buckwheat plant includes stems, leaves, and flowers/inflorescence (with inflorescence axis). It's form and structure is very similar, almost identical, to the E. umbellatum plant from the UCLA Herbarium, with slight differences apparent within their roots.
In a historical context, the use of the E. umbellatum plant, has been used by many of the United States Native American tribes, its medicinal usages varying. Tribes in the west of the United States, such as the Klamath, Cheyenne, Kayenta Navajo, and others use the plants in different forms, but generally in that of a poultice or salve. For example, the Klamath utilized the leaves in a poultice to calm burns, while the Cheyenne utilized the stems and flowers to aid lengthy menstrual cycles in women. The Paiute and Shoshone tribes utilized the leaves and roots as an aid for rheumatism, colds, or pains of the stomach. The Kawaiisu used the flowers in the form of a salve to treat gonorrheal sores. The plant as a whole was used by the Navajo to prompt vomiting in the case of intestinal issues. The historical E. umbellatum plant consists of small, rounded, almond-shaped leaves, with long and thin stems. The top of the plant has yellow bunched flowers varying in quantity from four to nine per plant. The image of the plant is consistent with the depicted properties of E. umbellatum var. umbellatum Torr, our originally researched species from the UCLA herbarium. The modern form of sulphur-flower buckwheat, however, does not appear to be used in contemporary medicines or treatments.WORKS CITED
United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service. “Sulphur-Flower Buckwheat (Eriogonum Umbellatum) Plant Guide.” USDA NRCS Lockeford Plant Materials Center. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/capmcpg11382.pdf. -
1
media/435900.jpg
2022-02-23T11:28:47-08:00
Precious Polygonaceae: Insight into the Historical Collection and Therapeutic Uses of Polygonum, Eriogonum, and Rumex Genera
14
In this Scalar page, we explored a total of six species under the Polygonaceae plant family, with half being the originally assigned specimens and half being closely related specimens housed in the UCLA Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden. Using the skills and knowledge gained throughout our course, Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Bioprospecting, we engaged in collection-based research to analyze the context in which these plants were collected, their medicinal uses, and the relationships among them. This exploration of the similarities and differences of a number of Polygonaceae plants in various forms will act as an application of the information literacy and collective analysis techniques and, in doing so, will illustrate their value. - By Moryel Yashar, Lexie Baughman, Nicole Cohen, Yair Tabibi, Tabetha Sanchez, and Leah Tabibi
structured_gallery
2022-03-07T11:52:00-08:00
Introduce materia medica - notes/references from someone.
“All of the plants presented in these analyses fall under the same family - Polygonaceae - giving them a meaningful commonality that can serve as a basis for their comparison. Polygonaceae has been important to…” Discuss how this fits into the context of materia medica - notes/references from someone.
While materia medica highlights the utility of plants and how humans can rely on nature, it is also important to consider the processes that led to these plants being documented in this manner. The value of these entries in part lies in their collection processes, especially in the sense of knowing their collection details. Such information often includes the collector, collection location, and collection date, alongside detailing the collected specimen itself. An example of this is seen in the materia medica entry of Polygonum lapathifolium, which was made by William Dickes and Anne Pratt in 1855. Even over a century ago, there was clear importance to this information, and this value has stood the test of time. This is especially true in terms of herbaria, or collections of preserved plants. There are about 3.100 herbaria worldwide, with 390 million specimens contained in them. Though impressive, these specimens only hold value if they detail what was collected, where it was collected, when it was collected, and who collected it. This process has become pretty standardized in herbaria, as exemplified on the physical specimen sheet of Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum Torr. All specimens in the UCLA Herbarium contain a similar label, which lists the aforementioned collection details. There may even be additional information, such as the elevation or location coordinates. Having this information gives these specimens ecological and evolutionary value, which can certainly complement their medicinal value. In this way, it allows viewers to make comparisons, whether in terms of the collected information itself or the broader context of the plant.
Such comparisons are what inspire the individual content pages of this section. Each author pair analyzed three specimens: one from the UCLA Herbarium, one from the Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden, and one from their choice of materia medica. In order, these pages considered Polygonum lapathifolium and Eriogonum grande var. Rubescens; Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum torr. and Eriogonum giganteum var. Compactum; and Rumex acetosella and Eriogonum cinereum. While all of these specimens fall under the Polygonaceae family, there are clear differences in their form - dried, alive, and illustrated, respectively - and perhaps more nuanced differences in their representation. The analyses generally compare the collection information and morphological details of the plants and go on to situate these comparisons in a historical context. Specifically, it was of interest to consider why such differences may exist. For example, between the P. lapathifolium herbarium specimen and materia medica entry there were differences in flower structure. Using the collection information, one can consider how this discrepancy may relate to their collection locations or even their nativity.
Comparisons like these can also be drawn between this whole collection of plants.