Burke: Allium triquetrum vs. Allium columbianum

	Allium triquetrum	Allium columbianum
		Columbia onion
Habit		Scapose perennial herbs from bulbs not usually clustered on a stout primary rhizome, the inner coats white to pink, the outer coats brownish to grayish, lacking reticulation and enclosing at least 1 bulb.
Leaves		Leaves typically persistent, green at time of flowering, sheathing basally with sheaths not extending far above soil surface; blade solid and flat, somewhat curved, 10-35 cm long and 5-8 mm wide, margins entire; scape persistent and solitary, cylindrical, 20-30 cm tall and 1.5-4 mm wide.
Inflorescence		Umbels of 25-50 flowers, hemispheric to globose; scape persistent and solitary, cylindrical, 20-30 cm tall and 1.5-4 mm wide; spathe bracts 3, ovate.
Flowers		Tepals 6, light or bright purple to purplish pink, lanceolate, acuminate, margins entire, becoming papery in fruit; stamens 6, equal to or longer than tepals with blue-grey anthers; ovary 3-chambered, stigma capitate.
Fruits		Capsule dehiscing lengthwise along back of carpal, containing 2 shiny black seeds.

	Allium triquetrum	Allium columbianum
Flowering time		May-July
Habitat		Seasonally wet soils on rock outcrops, wet meadows.
Distribution	[WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	Occurring east of the Cascades crest in far eastern Washington; Washington to Idaho and Montana. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Introduced	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern	Review Group 1 in Washington (WANHP)
Sibling taxa	A. acuminatum, A. amplectens, A. campanulatum, A. cernuum, A. columbianum, A. constrictum, A. crenulatum, A. dictuon, A. douglasii, A. fibrillum, A. geyeri, A. macrum, A. nevii, A. robinsonii, A. schoenoprasum, A. scilloides, A. textile, A. tolmiei, A. validum, A. vineale	A. acuminatum, A. amplectens, A. campanulatum, A. cernuum, A. constrictum, A. crenulatum, A. dictuon, A. douglasii, A. fibrillum, A. geyeri, A. macrum, A. nevii, A. robinsonii, A. schoenoprasum, A. scilloides, A. textile, A. tolmiei, A. validum, A. vineale
Web links	Local floras: CA, OR Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Scapose perennial herbs from bulbs not usually clustered on a stout primary rhizome, the inner coats white to pink, the outer coats brownish to grayish, lacking reticulation and enclosing at least 1 bulb.

Leaves

Leaves typically persistent, green at time of flowering, sheathing basally with sheaths not extending far above soil surface;

blade solid and flat, somewhat curved, 10-35 cm long and 5-8 mm wide, margins entire;

scape persistent and solitary, cylindrical, 20-30 cm tall and 1.5-4 mm wide.

Inflorescence

Umbels of 25-50 flowers, hemispheric to globose;

scape persistent and solitary, cylindrical, 20-30 cm tall and 1.5-4 mm wide;

spathe bracts 3, ovate.

Flowers

Tepals 6, light or bright purple to purplish pink, lanceolate, acuminate, margins entire, becoming papery in fruit;

stamens 6, equal to or longer than tepals with blue-grey anthers;

ovary 3-chambered, stigma capitate.