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plains onion

pitted 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.

1–3(–5), not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 1–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, accumulating and investing bulb with thick cover, cells square, polygonal, or ± transversely elongate, walls thick, sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats white to light brown, cells ± obscure, quadrate.

Leaves

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

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

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

blade solid, flattened, subterete or ± channeled and carinate, ± falcate, 10–30 cm × 0.5–3 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, ± terete, 10–20 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–35 cm × 1–4 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 or loose, 5–45-flowered, bulbils unknown, umbel shattering after seeds mature, each flower deciduous with its pedicel;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 4–6-veined, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, apex obtuse or 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.

campanulate, 4–9 mm;

tepals erect or spreading from base, white to deep pink with darker midveins, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, margins entire, apex obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary 3-grooved with ridge on either side of each groove, ridges prolonged into crest, ridges and crest densely covered with minute, rounded papillae;

processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 4–30 mm.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

Allium perdulce

Allium lacunosum

Distribution
from USDA
c North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Varieties 4 (4 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
1. Umbel compact; pedicel 0.75–1.5 times flower; scape 10–25 cm.
→ 2
1. Umbel loose; pedicel equaling–3.5 times flower; scape 15–35 cm.
→ 3
2. Scape 10–20 cm; leaf blade 1–2 times scape; flowers (6–)7–9 mm; Coast Ranges of c California and Channel Islands.
var. lacunosum
2. Scape 15–25 cm; leaf blade equaling or shorter than scape; flowers 6–7(–8) mm; Sierra Nevada, California.
var. kernensis
3. Leaf blade subterete, 1 mm or less wide, straight; spathe bracts 3, apex obtuse or acute; flowers 4–6 mm.
var. micranthum
3. Leaf blade ± carinate, to 3 mm wide, ± falcate; spathe bracts 2, apex acuminate; flowers 6–8 mm.
var. davisiae
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 241. FNA vol. 26, p. 260.
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. hoffmanii, A. howellii, A. hyalinum, A. jepsonii, A. kunthii, 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
A. lacunosum var. davisiae, A. lacunosum var. kernensis, A. lacunosum var. lacunosum, A. lacunosum var. micranthum
Name authority S. V. Fraser: Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 42: 124. (1940) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 231. (1879)
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