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Burlew's onion

passey's onion

Bulbs

usually solitary, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing single bulb, brown or grayish, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells not visible.

2–3+, not rhizomatous, ovoid, 1–2 × 1.2–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown, reticulate, fibrous;

inner coats whitish to light brown, cells vertically elongate and regular or obscure.

Leaves

usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat or broadly channeled, ± falcate, 8–33 cm × 1–10 mm, margins entire.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–3, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, ± falcate, 10–20 cm × 3–6 mm, margins entire.

Scape

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 2–20 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, terete or ± winged-angled, mostly 10–20 cm × 1–2.5 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, compact, 8–20(–30)-flowered, globose to conic, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 3, 9–13-veined, broadly ovate, ± equal, apex abruptly acuminate.

persistent, erect, compact, 8–27-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–4, mostly 1-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate to caudate.

Flowers

conical to campanulate, 7–10 mm;

tepals strictly erect, dull purplish with darker midveins, ovate, ± equal, becoming membranous, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse;

stamens equaling tepals or ± exserted;

filaments smooth proximally;

anthers purple;

pollen yellow or gray;

ovary crestless or crested;

processes 6, central, rounded, minute, margins entire;

style linear, slightly longer than stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 6–10 mm.

campanulate, 7–9 mm;

tepals erect, light pink, narrowly lanceolate to lance-ovate, becoming callous-keeled, persistent and permanently investing capsule, margins entire, apex acuminate, inner shorter and narrower than outer, outer strongly keeled and gibbous at base;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary obscurely crested;

processes 6, central, ± erect, rounded, minute, to 1 mm, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–18 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells smooth, each with minute, central papilla.

2n

= 14.

Allium burlewii

Allium passeyi

Phenology Flowering late Apr–Jul. Flowering Jun.
Habitat Granite sands, on dry slopes and ridges Shallow, stony, lithosolic soil over dolomitic limestone, hilltops
Elevation 1800–2800 m (5900–9200 ft) 1400–1600 m (4600–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Allium passeyi is known only from Box Elder County.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 273. FNA vol. 26, p. 242.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Allium 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. brevistylum, 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
A. aaseae, A. abramsii, A. acuminatum, A. ampeloprasum, A. amplectens, A. anceps, A. atrorubens, A. bigelovii, A. bisceptrum, A. bolanderi, A. brandegeei, A. brevistylum, 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. 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 Davidson: Bull. S. Calif. Acad. Sci. 15: 17. (1916) N. H. Holmgren & A. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 26: 309, figs. 1, 4. (1974)
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