1 Cauline leaves whorled; basal leaves persistent at flowering.

..2 Tepals bright yellow; plants 3-5 dm tall; achenes pilose at the beak; [of shale barrens of VA and WV]; [subgenus Oligogonum]

1 Cauline leaves alternate; basal leaves either persistent, or absent or withering at flowering;[subgenus Eriogonum].

....3 Flowers 1-2.5 mm long; plants annuals or biennials; [subgenus Micrantha].

......4 Outer tepals obovate, 0.9-1.5 mm wide; involucres 2.5-4 mm long, tomentose to floccose on lower surface, glabrous on upper surface; plants grayish

......4 Outer tepals oblong-cordate, 1.5-2 mm wide; involucres 2-2.5 mm long, usually tomentose on both surfaces; plants reddish.

........5 Leaf blades narrowly lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 2-5 (-8) × 0.3-0.9 (-1.5) cm, 4-10× as long as wide, attenuate to rarely rounded at base, not auriculate-subclasping

........5 Leaf blades oblong to narrowly ovate, 1.5-4 (-4.5) × 1-2.2 (-2.5) cm, 1.5-4× as long as wide, auriculate-subclasping at base

....3 Flowers 5-15 mm long; plants biennials or perennials; [subgenus Eriogonum].

..........6 Plant monocarpic, living 2-5 years and dying after flowering; perianth 5-7 mm long, including the 0.5-1 (-1.2) mm long stipelike base; tepals obovate; involucres 3-3.5 mm long; achenes 4-4.5 mm long, with short, appressed hairs, and 3-winged near the apex; [of limestone glades and barrens of KY, TN, and n. AL]

..........6 Plant perennial; flowers 5-15 mm long, including the (0.5-) 1-4 (-7) mm long stipelike base; tepals lanceolate to elliptic; involucres 4-7 mm long; achenes 4-6 mm long, with long hairs, and not winged.

............ 7 Perianth 8-15 mm long, including the 2-4 (-7) mm long stipe-like base; involucres 6-7 mm long; [endemic to Florida scrub and sandhills]

............ 7 Perianth 5-11 mm long, including the (0.5-) 1-2.5 mm long stipe-like base; involucres 4-6 mm long; [of calcareous glades, sandy or clayey woodlands of MO, AR, and w. LA, westwards]