Allium tuberosum |
Allium columbianum |
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Chinese chive, garlic chives, oriental garlic |
Columbia onion, Columbian onion |
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Bulbs | 1–3, borne on stout, ± horizontal rhizome, elongate, cylindric or conic, 0.5–1.5 × 0.7–2 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, reticulate, cells ± fine-meshed, open, fibrous; inner coats white, cells closely parallel, elongate. |
1–5+, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–1.5 × 0.8–1.4 cm; outer bulb coats brownish or grayish, enclosing 1 or more bulbs, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers; inner coats white to pink, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
Leaves | withering from tip by anthesis, 2–5, sheathing scape to ± soil level; blade solid, flat, carinate abaxially, 20–40 cm × 2–6 mm, margins entire. |
usually persistent, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, ± falcate, 10–35 cm × (2–)5–8 mm, margins entire. |
Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 30–50 cm × 1–3 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, enlarged proximal to inflorescence, (10–)20–30(–40) cm × 1.5–4 mm. |
Umbel | persistent, erect, loose, 20–50-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 1–3, 3–7-veined, lance-ovate, shorter than pedicel, apex acuminate. |
persistent, erect, compact, 25–50-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 3, 5–7-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute. |
Flowers | substellate, 4–9 mm; tepals spreading, white with green or brownish midveins, lanceolate to elliptic, ± equal, withering and exposing capsule, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute; stamens included; anthers purple; pollen white; ovary crestless; style linear, ± equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed; pedicel 10–30 mm. |
± stellate, (6–)7–8(–10) mm; tepals spreading, light pink to purple with prominent green midribs, narrowly lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate; stamens equaling or longer than tepals; anthers blue-gray; pollen light blue to gray; ovary crested; processes 6, 2 per lobe, low, rounded, margins entire; style exserted, linear; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 10–20 mm. |
Seed | coat shining; cells smooth, irregularly shaped, with ± sinuous walls. |
coat shining; cells smooth. |
2n | = 14. |
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Allium tuberosum |
Allium columbianum |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Aug. | Flowering May–Jul. |
Habitat | Roadsides and other disturbed ground | Winter-wet, shallow soils on rock outcrops, or wet meadows |
Elevation | 300–1100 m (1000–3600 ft) | |
Distribution |
IA; NE; WI; se Asia [Introduced in North America]
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ID; MT; WA
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Discussion | Allium tuberosum is cultivated in China, Siberia, and North America, and is reported to be established in New England. It may escape anywhere the species is cultivated. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 240. | FNA vol. 26. |
Parent taxa | ||
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. douglasii var. columbianum | |
Name authority | Rottler ex Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 2: 38. (1825) | (Ownbey & Mingrone) P. M. Peterson: Syst. Bot. 13: 211. (1988) |
Web links |