A member of the plant family Polygonaceae, Eriogonum gracile is an annual species of wild buckwheat native to California and to parts of northwestern Baja California. There are two named varieties, E. gracile var. gracile which is more widespread in California and has a hairier (or woollier) appearance than E. gracile var. incultum which is limited to Southern California and Baja. This small, drought tolerant annual grows in many types of habitats; in sandy as well as clay soils; and in a variety of shapes, from erect to prostrate. Showy, slender, multiply branching, stems rise above the low rosettes of gray-green, smooth to hairy (or woolly), spoon-shaped leaves. The stems are lined with small clusters of flowers in shades of white and pink or yellow during the summer months or even longer. This plant, currently available through seed companies, is a good prospect for habitat restoration and for clustering among other annuals in a wild garden.