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autumn onion, prairie onion

Diablo onion, serpentine onion

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.

1–3, not clustered on stout, primary rhizomes, ovoid to ± globose, 1–1.6 × 0.9–1.6 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, reddish brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in 2–3 rows proximal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats pale brown to white, 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.

persistent, withering from apex by anthesis, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, terete, 10–30(–40) cm × 1–3 mm.

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.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 7–20(–30) cm × 1–3 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 to ± loose, 10–50-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 8–10-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate to long-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, 6–10 mm;

tepals erect, white or tinged pink with dark red midveins, lanceolate to ovate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute or apiculate, not conspicuously recurved at tip;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, ± triangular, margins erose to ± laciniate;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, 3-lobed, lobes slender, recurved;

pedicel 7–20 mm.

Seed

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Allium stellatum

Allium diabolense

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering mid Apr–Jun.
Habitat Often on calcareous soils Serpentine clay soils
Elevation 300–2200 m (1000–7200 ft) 500–1500 m (1600–4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; IA; IL; KS; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; OK; SD; TN; TX; WI; MB; ON; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium diabolense is known only from the southern Coast Ranges and western Transverse Ranges.

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

Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26.
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. scilloides, A. serra, A. sharsmithiae, A. shevockii, A. simillimum, A. siskiyouense, A. speculae, 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. 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
Synonyms A. fimbriatum var. diabolense
Name authority Ker Gawler: Bot. Mag. 38: plate 1576. (1813) (Ownbey & Aase ex Traub) McNeal: Aliso 13: 425. (1992)
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