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fragile onion, scilla-like onion

Kellogg's onion, twin leaf onion, two-edge onion

Bulbs

1–5, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, increase bulbs ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, rhizomes absent, globose to ovoid, 1–2 cm × 8–20 mm;

outer coats enclosing renewal bulbs, reddish or brownish, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats white or light brown, cells absent or obscure and ± quadrate.

1–5, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid, 1.5–2 × 1.2–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown to yellow-brown, membranous, ± prominently cellular-reticulate, cells in regular vertical rows, narrowly rectangular, transversely elongate, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells obscure, transversely elongate.

Leaves

deciduous with scape after seeds mature, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, falcate, 6–15 cm × 2–4 mm, margins entire or obscurely papillose.

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

blade solid, flat, falcate, 7–26 cm × 4–6 mm, margins entire.

Scape

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, strongly flattened, 2-edged or winged distally, wings obscurely papillose, 4–8 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, flattened, narrowly winged, 10–15 cm × 1–3 mm.

Umbel

decisuous with scape, erect, compact, 5–12-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 3-veined, broadly ovate, ± equal, apex acute.

persistent, erect, ± compact, 15–35-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 10–13-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute.

Flowers

campanulate, 6–8 mm;

tepals erect, white or pinkish with green midribs, becoming reddish purple, broadly elliptic-oblong, ± equal, becoming rigid, papery and ± connivent over fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse, not involute at tip;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen white to gray;

ovary crestless or obscurely crested;

processes 3, central, rounded, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or minutely 3-lobed;

pedicel 2–10.5(–18.5 in fruit) mm.

stellate, 8–12 mm;

tepals spreading, light pink with diffuse greenish midveins, linear-lanceolate, ± equal, papery, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens ± equaling tepals;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, central, rounded, minute, margins entire;

style linear, 0.5 times stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 15–30 mm.

Seed

coat dull;

cells smooth.

coats dull;

cells smooth.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Allium scilloides

Allium anceps

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr. Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Barren, gravelly soils, arid interior slopes and ridges well back from Columbia River Heavy, generally barren, clay soils
Elevation 300–1300 m (1000–4300 ft) 1200–1600 m (3900–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Allium scilloides is known only from east of the Cascades.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 275. FNA vol. 26, p. 270.
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. perdulce, A. platycaule, A. plummerae, A. praecox, A. punctum, A. rhizomatum, A. robinsonii, A. rotundum, A. runyonii, A. sanbornii, A. sativum, A. schoenoprasum, 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. 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. 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
Name authority Douglas ex S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 229. (1879) Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2: 109. (1863)
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