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plains onion

beegum onion

Bulbs

2–20+, without basal bulbels, 1–2.5 × 1.2–2.8 cm;

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

inner coats whitish, cells regular, vertically elongate, walls not sinuous.

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

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

inner coats white or pink, cells not visible.

Leaves

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

blade solid, flat, channeled, 8–30 cm × 1–2(–3) mm, margins entire.

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, 10–22 cm × 4–8 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, ± terete, 10–20 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, 5–10 cm × 0.5–2 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, 5–25-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 3–7-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

persistent, erect, compact, 10–40-flowered, globose to conic, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 3–4, 3-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

Flowers

urceolate, 7–10 mm;

tepals erect, white or pale pink with deep pink midribs to deep rose, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming callous-keeled and permanently investing capsule, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow or purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed;

pedicel 3–17 mm, ± 2 times perianth at anthesis, elongating in fruit.

conical to campanulate, 8–10 mm;

tepals strictly erect, pink to purplish with prominent greenish midvein, linear-lanceolate, ± equal, becoming membranous, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate;

stamens exserted;

filaments papillose-glandular proximally;

anthers purple;

pollen yellow or gray;

ovary crested;

processes 6, obscure, central, low, rounded, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 8–15 mm.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull;

cells smooth.

2n

= 14.

Allium perdulce

Allium hoffmanii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Serpentine clay
Elevation 1100–1800 m (3600–5900 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
c North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Tepals deep rose, aging to purple; n Texas and e New Mexico to se South Dakota and adjacent Iowa
var. perdulce
1. Tepals white to light pink, aging pink; trans-Pecos Texas.
var. sperryi
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 241. FNA vol. 26, p. 273.
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. 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
A. perdulce var. perdulce, A. perdulce var. sperryi
Name authority S. V. Fraser: Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 42: 124. (1940) Ownbey ex Traub: Pl. Life 28: 63. (1972)
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