Allium columbianum |
Allium aaseae |
|
---|---|---|
Columbia onion, Columbian onion |
Aase's onion, South Idaho onion |
|
Bulbs | 1–5+, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–1.5 × 0.8–1.4 cm; outer bulb coats brownish or grayish, enclosing 1 or more bulbs, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers; inner coats white to pink, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
2–10+, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish, membranous, with or without obscure reticulations, cells isodiametric or transversely elongate, ± contorted, without fibers; inner coats white, pink, or red, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
Leaves | usually persistent, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, ± falcate, 10–35 cm × (2–)5–8 mm, margins entire. |
usually deciduous with scape, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat to ± terete, channeled, 7–25 cm × 1–4 mm, margins entire or minutely denticulate. |
Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, enlarged proximal to inflorescence, (10–)20–30(–40) cm × 1.5–4 mm. |
usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, slightly flattened, with or without narrow, sometimes crenulate-denticulate wings, 5–12 cm × 1–2 mm. |
Umbel | persistent, erect, compact, 25–50-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 3, 5–7-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute. |
persistent, erect, compact, 5–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 8–11-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex obtuse to acuminate. |
Flowers | ± stellate, (6–)7–8(–10) mm; tepals spreading, light pink to purple with prominent green midribs, narrowly lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate; stamens equaling or longer than tepals; anthers blue-gray; pollen light blue to gray; ovary crested; processes 6, 2 per lobe, low, rounded, margins entire; style exserted, linear; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 10–20 mm. |
campanulate, 6–9 mm; tepals erect, bright pink fading to white with dark midribs, rarely white, oblong to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins obscurely to distinctly serrulate-denticulate, apex obtuse to acuminate; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary crestless; style included, linear; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 3–10 mm. |
Seed | coat shining; cells smooth. |
coat shining; cells smooth. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14. |
Allium columbianum |
Allium aaseae |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering Apr–May. |
Habitat | Winter-wet, shallow soils on rock outcrops, or wet meadows | Coarse, sandy soil and gravelly river benches |
Elevation | 300–1100 m (1000–3600 ft) | 800–1100 m (2600–3600 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; WA
|
ID
|
Discussion | Allium aaseae is known only from Ada and southern Gem counties and Rebecca Sand Hill, Washington County, and is considered of conservation concern by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 26. | FNA vol. 26, p. 268. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. douglasii var. columbianum | |
Name authority | (Ownbey & Mingrone) P. M. Peterson: Syst. Bot. 13: 211. (1988) | Ownbey: Res. Stud. State Coll. Wash. 18: 19, fig. 18. (1950) |
Web links |