''Eriogonum alatum'', with the common names winged buckwheat and winged eriogonum, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...

. The plant is native to the western Great Plains, the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, N ...

, and

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

state in México.GRIN-Global Web v 1.9.7.1: taxonomy of ''Eriogonum alatum''
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Varieties

Varieties include: *''Eriogonum alatum'' var. ''alatum'' *''Eriogonum alatum'' var. ''glabriusculum''

Uses

Among the

Zuni people The Zuni ( zun, A:shiwi; formerly spelled ''Zuñi'') are Native American Pueblo peoples native to the Zuni River valley. The Zuni are a Federally recognized tribe and most live in the Pueblo of Zuni on the Zuni River, a tributary of the Littl ...

, the root is eaten as an

emetic Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis ...

for stomachaches. An

infusion Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An i ...

of the powdered root is taken after a fall and to relieve general misery.

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile for ''Eriogonum alatum'' (winged buckwheat)

BRIT.org: Native American Ethnobotany Database on ''Eriogonum alatum''
alatum Flora of the North-Central United States Flora of the United States Flora of the Great Plains (North America) Flora of the South-Central United States Flora of Arizona Flora of Chihuahua (state) Flora of New Mexico Flora of Utah Flora of Wyoming Plants used in traditional Native American medicine Plants described in 1853 Taxa named by John Torrey Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Polygonaceae-stub