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short-style onion

Bulbs

2–4, terminating thick, iris-like rhizome, elongate, 2–3 × 0.6–1 cm;

outer coats enclosing single bulb, grayish or brownish, membranous, minutely striate, cells in parallel vertical rows, narrow, elongate, not fibrous-reticulate, fibers persistent, parallel, few, coarse;

inner coats whitish, cells narrowly vertically elongate.

Leaves

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–5, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil level;

blade solid, flat, 10–40 cm × 2–8 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, flattened and narrowly winged distally, 20–60 cm × 1.5–4 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, 7–20-flowered, subhemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–5-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute.

Flowers

narrowly urceolate, 10–13 mm;

tepals erect, pink, lanceolate, ± equal, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate, midribs somewhat thickened;

stamens included, ca. 1/2 as long as tepals;

anthers yellow;

pollen light yellow;

ovary crestless;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, distinctly 3-lobed;

pedicel 8–35 mm, elongating and becoming stout and curved in fruit.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla, or obscurely and minutely roughened.

2n

= 14.

Allium brevistylum

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Swampy meadows and along streams, rarely on wooded slopes
Elevation 2200–3400 m (7200–11200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NM; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium brevistylum is found only in the Rocky Mountains.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 246.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Allium
Sibling taxa
A. aaseae, A. abramsii, A. acuminatum, A. ampeloprasum, A. amplectens, A. anceps, A. atrorubens, A. bigelovii, A. bisceptrum, A. bolanderi, A. brandegeei, A. burlewii, A. campanulatum, A. canadense, A. cepa, A. cernuum, A. columbianum, A. constrictum, A. coryi, A. cratericola, A. crenulatum, A. crispum, A. cuthbertii, A. denticulatum, A. diabolense, A. dichlamydeum, A. dictuon, A. douglasii, A. drummondii, A. elmendorfii, A. falcifolium, A. fibrillum, A. fimbriatum, A. fistulosum, A. geyeri, A. gooddingii, A. haematochiton, A. hickmanii, A. hoffmanii, A. howellii, A. hyalinum, A. jepsonii, A. kunthii, A. lacunosum, A. lemmonii, A. macropetalum, A. macrum, A. madidum, A. membranaceum, A. monticola, A. munzii, A. neapolitanum, A. nevadense, A. nevii, A. nigrum, A. obtusum, A. oleraceum, A. paniculatum, A. parishii, A. parryi, A. parvum, A. passeyi, A. peninsulare, A. perdulce, A. platycaule, A. plummerae, A. praecox, A. punctum, A. rhizomatum, A. robinsonii, A. rotundum, A. runyonii, A. sanbornii, A. sativum, A. schoenoprasum, A. scilloides, A. serra, A. sharsmithiae, A. shevockii, A. simillimum, A. siskiyouense, A. speculae, A. stellatum, A. textile, A. tolmiei, A. tribracteatum, A. tricoccum, A. triquetrum, A. tuberosum, A. tuolumnense, A. unifolium, A. validum, A. victorialis, A. vineale, A. yosemitense
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 350. (1871)
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