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Hooker's onion, taper-tip onion

Blue Mountain onion

Bulbs

1–12+, not basally clustered, not forming rhizomes, ovoid to ± globose, 0.8–1.6 × 0.9–1.6 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more renewal bulbs, ± yellow-brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells square or polygonal, walls thick, obscurely sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells obscure, ± quadrate.

usually solitary, forming rhizomes;

rhizomes 1–2, terminated by 1–3 new bulbs, short, slender;

parent bulb disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and bulb coats, not basally clustered, oblique-ovoid, 1–1.5 × 0.9–1.5 cm;

outer coats not enclosing bulbs, pale brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells polygonal to oblong, walls thick, obscurely sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells ± transversely elongate, intricately contorted.

Leaves

persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, subterete or ± channeled, 7–30 cm × 1–3 mm, margins entire.

persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, subterete to ± channeled, 10–28 cm × 1–2 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–35 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–40 cm × 1–3 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, 10–40-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

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

persistent, erect, loose, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

Flowers

campanulate, 8–15 mm;

tepals erect, pink to rose-purple, or white, lanceolate to lance-ovate, unequal, becoming rigid and keeled in fruit, margins finely denticulate (inner tepal more prominently so), apex acuminate, outer tepal longer and wider than inner, spreading to recurved at tip, inner tepal with strongly recurved tips;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 3, central, 2-lobed, rounded, minute, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 6–25 mm.

campanulate, 11–16 mm;

tepals erect, pink to rose-purple, lanceolate, unequal, outer tepal longer and wider than inner, becoming rigid and keeled in fruit, margins finely denticulate (inner tepal more prominently so), apex acute to narrowly obtuse, becoming involute and appearing long-acuminate, flaring toward tips;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 3, central, 2-lobed, rounded, minute, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 10–25 mm.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

coat shining;

cells minutely roughened.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Allium acuminatum

Allium dictuon

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Dry slopes and plains Rocky, sandy, basaltic soil
Elevation 100–1500 m (300–4900 ft) 1500 m (4900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; NV; OR; UT; WA; WY; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Allium dictuon is known only from the vicinity of Weller’s Butte, Blue Mountains. It differs from A. acuminatum by its rhizomatous habit, in which it resembles A. bolanderi, and in the cellular pattern on the inner bulb coats.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 261. FNA vol. 26, p. 261.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Allium Liliaceae > Allium
Sibling taxa
A. aaseae, A. abramsii, 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. 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. 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. acuminatum var. cuspidatum, A. cuspidatum
Name authority Hooker: Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 184, plate 196. (1838) H. St. John: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 50: 3, fig. 1. (1937)
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