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yellowflower onion

red Sierra onion, red Sierran onion

Bulbs

1–5, without basal bulbels, ovoid, 1–1.8 × 0.7–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, reticulate, cells fine-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats whitish or brownish, cells intricately contorted, walls not sinuous.

1–5, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.8 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, membranous, cellular-reticulate, cells quadrate, polygonal, or ± rectangular, ± transversely elongate, without fibers;

inner coats white, reticulation absent or cells obscure, ± quadrate.

Leaves

persistent, green at anthesis, 3–5, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, channeled, 10–30 cm × 1–3 mm, margins entire.

usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, 1–2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat or broadly channeled, ± falcate, 5–22 cm × 0.5–14 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, ± terete, 10–30 cm × 1–3 mm.

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 2–17 cm × 0.5–2 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, compact or ± loose, usually 10–25-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 1-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

persistent, erect, compact, 6–65-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3(–5), 5-8-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex abruptly acuminate to apiculate.

Flowers

campanulate to ± stellate, 6–9 mm;

tepals spreading, bright yellow, sometimes tinged with red, fading with age and sometimes upon drying, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery and rigid in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute, midribs somewhat thickened;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crestless or rarely crested;

processes 6, central, low, sometimes distinct or connate in pairs across septa, rounded, margins entire;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed;

pedicel 5–20 mm.

campanulate, 4–12 mm;

tepals erect, white or pink with dark purplish midveins, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow or purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 3, obscure to ± prominent, rounded, central, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens or longer;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 2–14(–20) mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat dull;

cells ± smooth.

2n

= 14.

Allium coryi

Allium obtusum

Phenology Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Rocky slopes and plains, mountains
Elevation 800–1400 m (2600–4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium coryi is known only from western Texas.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Allium obtusum is known only from the Sierra Nevada.

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

Key
1. Leaf blade 0.5–4 mm wide; umbels 6–20-flowered; tepals white with prominent, dark midveins, oblong-elliptic, apex obtuse.
var. obtusum
1. Leaf blade 2–14 mm wide; umbels 10–65-flowered; tepals pink with darker midveins, lanceolate, apex acute.
var. conspicuum
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 239. FNA vol. 26, p. 269.
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. campanulatum, A. canadense, A. cepa, A. cernuum, A. columbianum, A. constrictum, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
A. obtusum var. conspicuum, A. obtusum var. obtusum
Name authority M. E. Jones: Contr. W. Bot. 17: 21. (1930) Lemmon: Pittonia 2: 69. (1890)
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