Allium stellatum |
Allium aaseae |
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autumn onion, prairie onion |
Aase's onion, South Idaho onion |
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Bulbs | 1–5+, usually clustered, often short-rhizomatous at base, rhizome not stout or iris-like, ovoid, 2–4 × 1–2.5 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, grayish or brownish, membranous, fibers parallel, few, or sometimes reticulate, cells obscure, finely meshed; inner coats whitish to pinkish, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
2–10+, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish, membranous, with or without obscure reticulations, cells isodiametric or transversely elongate, ± contorted, without fibers; inner coats white, pink, or red, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
Leaves | persistent, green at anthesis, 3–5, basally sheathing, sheaths never extending much above soil level; blade solid, flat, channeled, 14–35 cm × 1–5 mm, margins ± entire. |
usually deciduous with scape, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat to ± terete, channeled, 7–25 cm × 1–4 mm, margins entire or minutely denticulate. |
Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, or, if nodding at anthesis, becoming erect, solid, terete or ± 4-angled, particularly distally, 20–50 cm × 1–3.5 mm. |
usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, slightly flattened, with or without narrow, sometimes crenulate-denticulate wings, 5–12 cm × 1–2 mm. |
Umbel | persistent, nodding, becoming erect, ± loose, 9–40-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 2–4-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate. |
persistent, erect, compact, 5–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 8–11-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex obtuse to acuminate. |
Flowers | stellate, 5–8 mm; tepals spreading, deep pink, elliptic-lanceolate, ± equal, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acute, midribs not thickened; stamens exserted; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary conspicuously crested; processes 6, distinct, flattened, ± triangular, margins entire or toothed; style exserted, linear, ± equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 0–20 mm. |
campanulate, 6–9 mm; tepals erect, bright pink fading to white with dark midribs, rarely white, oblong to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins obscurely to distinctly serrulate-denticulate, apex obtuse to acuminate; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary crestless; style included, linear; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 3–10 mm. |
Seed | coat dull; cells minutely roughened. |
coat shining; cells smooth. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14. |
Allium stellatum |
Allium aaseae |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Oct. | Flowering Apr–May. |
Habitat | Often on calcareous soils | Coarse, sandy soil and gravelly river benches |
Elevation | 300–2200 m (1000–7200 ft) | 800–1100 m (2600–3600 ft) |
Distribution |
AR; IA; IL; KS; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; OK; SD; TN; TX; WI; MB; ON; SK
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ID
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Discussion | Allium aaseae is known only from Ada and southern Gem counties and Rebecca Sand Hill, Washington County, and is considered of conservation concern by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 26. | FNA vol. 26, p. 268. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Ker Gawler: Bot. Mag. 38: plate 1576. (1813) | Ownbey: Res. Stud. State Coll. Wash. 18: 19, fig. 18. (1950) |
Web links |