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striped garlic

early onion

Bulbs

usually solitary, without basal bulbels, ovoid, 1–1.8 × 1–1.2 cm;

outer coats enclosing single bulb, grayish, reticulate, cells fine-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats whitish, cells vertically elongate, regular.

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 by anthesis, 2, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, linear, 12–35 cm × 3–6 mm, margins entire or denticulate.

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, erect, terete or ± 3–4-angled, 20–40 cm × 1–3.5 mm.

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

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 5–7-veined, 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, 7–9 mm;

tepals spreading to reflexed, white to pinkish or purple, lanceolate, ± equal, remaining thin and becoming strongly reflexed in fruit, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary conspicuously crested;

processes 6, central, irregularly contorted;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 14–45 mm.

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 obscure, central papilla.

coat shining;

cells minutely roughened.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Allium cuthbertii

Allium praecox

Phenology Flowering May–early Jun. Flowering Mar–May.
Habitat On granitic “flat-rocks” of Piedmont and in sand on coastal plains Clay soil on shaded, grassy slopes near coast
Elevation 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) 50–800 m (200–2600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 241. 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. campanulatum, A. canadense, A. cepa, A. cernuum, A. columbianum, A. constrictum, A. coryi, A. cratericola, A. crenulatum, A. crispum, 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. hyalinum var. praecox
Name authority Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 264, 1328. (1903) Brandegee: Zoë 5: 228. (1906)
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