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Chinese chive, garlic chives, oriental garlic

passey's onion

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.

2–3+, not rhizomatous, ovoid, 1–2 × 1.2–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown, reticulate, fibrous;

inner coats whitish to light brown, cells vertically elongate and regular or obscure.

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.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–3, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, ± falcate, 10–20 cm × 3–6 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 30–50 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, terete or ± winged-angled, mostly 10–20 cm × 1–2.5 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, 8–27-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–4, mostly 1-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate to caudate.

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.

campanulate, 7–9 mm;

tepals erect, light pink, narrowly lanceolate to lance-ovate, becoming callous-keeled, persistent and permanently investing capsule, margins entire, apex acuminate, inner shorter and narrower than outer, outer strongly keeled and gibbous at base;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary obscurely crested;

processes 6, central, ± erect, rounded, minute, to 1 mm, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–18 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells smooth, irregularly shaped, with ± sinuous walls.

coat shining;

cells smooth, each with minute, central papilla.

Allium tuberosum

Allium passeyi

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jun.
Habitat Roadsides and other disturbed ground Shallow, stony, lithosolic soil over dolomitic limestone, hilltops
Elevation 1400–1600 m (4600–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
IA; NE; WI; se Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Of conservation concern.

Allium passeyi is known only from Box Elder County.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 240. FNA vol. 26, p. 242.
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. stellatum, A. textile, A. tolmiei, A. tribracteatum, A. tricoccum, A. triquetrum, 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. 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. 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 Rottler ex Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 2: 38. (1825) N. H. Holmgren & A. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 26: 309, figs. 1, 4. (1974)
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