Plant Comparisons: Eriogonum umbellatum var. umbellatum Torr. and Eriogonum giganteum var. compactum
Furthermore, the abundance of roots, both thick and thin, as well as their length, indicates the plant's ability to thrive in dry climates, where water is scarce. This plant in particular was collected from Oregon woods. Its genus counterpart, E. giganteum, was collected from a hill with dry soil in direct sunlight. It stands to reason that E. umbellatum would 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.
E. giganteum, while larger in terms of size, is very similar 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. 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 collected on July 7, 1899, in the country of Alberta, near the vicinity of Banff. The Polygonaceae specimen was collected by McCalla, W.C., and includes stems, leaves, and flowers/inflorescence (with inflorescence axis). The specimen's determination date came in the year 1972. In a historical context, the use of the eriogonum umbellatum plant, also known as sulphur-flower buckwheat, has been used in 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 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.