/er'ee og"euh neuhm, -ee euh goh"neuhm/ , n.
any of various plants belonging to the genus Eriogonum, of the buckwheat family, native to southern and western North America. Cf. umbrella plant (def. 2).
[ Eriogonum genus name, equiv. to Gk erio- (comb. form of érion wool) + -gonum -gonon, neut. of -gonos, -kneed, -jointed, adj. deriv. of gónu knee; so called because the jointed stems are covered with hair ]