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autumn onion, prairie onion

fringe onion, wild 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 rhizome, ovoid to ± globose, 1–1.7 × 0.8–1.7 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, reddish brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 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 tip by anthesis, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, terete, 12–50 cm × 1–4 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, 10–35 cm × 0.5–3.5 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, 6–75-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 4–7-veined, lanceolate to ovate, ± equal, apex attenuate to setaceous.

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.

urceolate to campanulate, 6–12 mm;

tepals erect, dark reddish purple to pale lavender, or white, lanceolate to ovate, ± equal, becoming ± rigid to papery in fruit, margins entire or denticulate with few minute teeth near tip, apex acute to acuminate, recurved-spreading or not at tip;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary usually crested (rarely crestless);

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

style linear, equaling stamens;

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

pedicel 6–20 mm.

Seed

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

2n

= 14.

Allium stellatum

Allium fimbriatum

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct.
Habitat Often on calcareous soils
Elevation 300–2200 m (1000–7200 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; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Tepals dark reddish purple, apex usually spreading or recurved at tip.
var. fimbriatum
1. Tepals white to pale lavender with darker midvein, apex not spreading or recurved at tip.
→ 2
2. Scape 10–25 cm × 1–2 mm; Mojave Desert, se California.
var. mohavense
2. Scape 10–35 cm × 1.5–3.5 mm; known only from serpentine soils, n Coast Ranges, California.
var. purdyi
Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 254.
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. diabolense, A. dichlamydeum, A. dictuon, A. douglasii, A. drummondii, A. elmendorfii, A. falcifolium, A. fibrillum, 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
Subordinate taxa
A. fimbriatum var. fimbriatum, A. fimbriatum var. mohavense, A. fimbriatum var. purdyi
Name authority Ker Gawler: Bot. Mag. 38: plate 1576. (1813) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 232. (1879)
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