Eriogonum heermannii var. humilius is a domed airy shrub of the sagebrush and saltbrush comunities in the Great Basin. Found growing in the moderatly deep sandy deposites of arroyas and drainages.The bright green stems are heavily branched at all the nodes and the few leaves it has, are located on the lower branches. They drop off early in the heat of summer giving it a stark skeletal appearance. From a distance it looks like a thorny desert dweller. When you give it a closer inspection you realize that it is not armed with spines, just stiff tapered twigs. The plants I have seen are from 12-30 inches tall and as wide as they are tall. They bloom in July opening most of the flowers in a week long flush. As the flowers ripen their seed the flower heads turn a copper color as they desiccate. A dramatic shrub no matter the season.
I have collected seed and hope to grow this in my dry garden.
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=3265
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250060311
