Allium amplectens |
Allium obtusum |
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narrow-leaf onion, slim-leaf onion |
red Sierra onion, red Sierran onion |
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Bulbs | 1–15+, increase bulbs absent or ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid to ± globose, 0.6–1.5 × 0.6–1.3 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells in ± vertical rows, forming irregular herringbone pattern, transversely elongate, V-shaped, without fibers; inner coats usually dark red, sometimes white to pink, cells obscure, quadrate. |
1–5, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.8 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, membranous, cellular-reticulate, cells quadrate, polygonal, or ± rectangular, ± transversely elongate, without fibers; inner coats white, reticulation absent or cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
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Leaves | persistent, withering from tip at anthesis, 2–4, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, subterete or ± channeled, 10–36 cm × 0.5–2 mm, margins entire. |
usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, 1–2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat or broadly channeled, ± falcate, 5–22 cm × 0.5–14 mm, margins entire. |
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Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 15–50 cm × 3–5 mm. |
usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 2–17 cm × 0.5–2 mm. |
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Umbel | shattering after seeds mature, each flower deciduous with its pedicel as a unit, erect, compact, 10–50-flowered, hemispheric, bulbels unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 6–13-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex short-acuminate. |
persistent, erect, compact, 6–65-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3(–5), 5-8-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex abruptly acuminate to apiculate. |
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Flowers | stellate, 5–9 mm; tepals spreading at anthesis, white to pink, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery and connivent over capsule, margins entire, apex acute; stamens included; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 6, lateral, ± prominent, ± rectangular, margins entire; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 4–16 mm. |
campanulate, 4–12 mm; tepals erect, white or pink with dark purplish midveins, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute; stamens included; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 3, obscure to ± prominent, rounded, central, margins entire; style linear, equaling stamens or longer; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed; pedicel 2–14(–20) mm. |
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Seed | coat dull; cells minutely roughened. |
coat dull; cells ± smooth. |
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2n | = 14, 21, 28. |
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Allium amplectens |
Allium obtusum |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jul. | |||||
Habitat | Clay soils, including serpentine, dry slopes, and open plains | |||||
Elevation | 0–1800 m (0–5900 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
CA; OR; WA; BC
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CA; NV
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Discussion | All three chromosome races of Allium amplectens are widespread. The triploids are achiasmatic, causing a breakdown in the first meiotic division. This is followed by a normal second division resulting in pollen dyads that are, presumably, nonfunctional; seeds are produced by apomixis. The diploids and tetraploids produce normal pollen, in tetrads, that appears to be functional. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). Allium obtusum is known only from the Sierra Nevada. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 262. | FNA vol. 26, p. 269. | ||||
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | A. acuminatum var. gracile, A. attenuifolium, A. attenuifolium var. monospermum, A. monospermum, A. occidentale, A. serratum | |||||
Name authority | Torrey: Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 148. (1857) | Lemmon: Pittonia 2: 69. (1890) | ||||
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