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dusky onion, rosy Sierra onion, Sierra onion

early onion

Bulbs

1–3, producing cluster of stalked basal bulbels distal to roots or filiform rhizomes to 10 cm and terminated by bulbels, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.6–1.4 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown to gray, membranous, cellular-reticulate, cells ± quadrate, walls very sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats pink to white, cells obscure, vertically elongate.

1–3, increase bulbs absent or ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid to globose, 1–1.8 × 1–1.7 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray-brown to brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells arranged in ± vertical rows, forming irregular herringbone pattern, transversely elongate, V-shaped, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells obscure, ± transversely elongate, contorted.

Leaves

persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, distinctly concave-convex, 8–40 cm × 1–5 mm, margins entire.

persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, carinate, 20–75 cm × 5–10 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary or clustered, 1–3, erect, solid, terete, 10–30 cm × 1–5 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–60 cm × 2–4 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, 10–50-flowered, ± globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 3–5-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

shattering after seeds mature, each flower deciduous with its pedicel as a unit, erect, loose, 5–40-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 5–7-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

Flowers

stellate, 5–8 mm;

tepals spreading, rose to purple (rarely white) with darker purple crescent adaxially basally, lanceolate to ovate, ± equal, carinate in fruit, becoming erect, ± shiny, rigid, margins entire, apex acuminate, strongly involute at tip;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, low, central, triangular, margins minutely denticulate;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–20 mm, becoming flexuous and mostly strongly deflexed in fruit.

stellate, 6–13 mm;

tepals spreading at anthesis, white to pale pink with purple midveins, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, becoming papery and connivent over capsule, margins entire, apex acute, obtuse, or emarginate;

stamens included;

anthers purple and yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 15–40 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

coat shining;

cells minutely roughened.

2n

= 14, 28.

= 14.

Allium campanulatum

Allium praecox

Phenology Flowering late May–Aug. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat Generally sandy soils on open or shaded slopes Clay soil on shaded, grassy slopes near coast
Elevation 600–2600 m (2000–8500 ft) 50–800 m (200–2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 256. FNA vol. 26, p. 263.
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. burlewii, 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. passeyi, A. peninsulare, A. perdulce, A. platycaule, A. plummerae, 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
Synonyms A. austinae, A. bidwelliae, A. campanulatum var. bidwelliae A. hyalinum var. praecox
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 231. (1879) Brandegee: Zoë 5: 228. (1906)
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