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Columbia onion, Columbian onion

Brandegee's onion

Bulbs

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.

1–5, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid to globose, 0.7–1.5 × 0.6–1.4 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown to grayish brown, membranous, usually distinctly cellular-reticulate, cells isodiametric or ± narrowly hexagonal, transversely elongate, without fibers;

inner coats red to purple or white, cells obscure, quadrate to ± transversely elongate.

Leaves

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.

usually persistent, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat or channeled, ± falcate, 8–27 cm × 1–3 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, enlarged proximal to inflorescence, (10–)20–30(–40) cm × 1.5–4 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 3–10(–20) cm × 1–3 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, compact, 25–50-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 3, 5–7-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute.

persistent, erect, compact, 8–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 7–10-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

Flowers

± 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.

campanulate, 5–8 mm;

tepals erect, white with prominent green to purplish midvein, lanceolate to elliptic, ± equal, becoming involute at tip and rigid in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow or white;

ovary crestless or obscurely crested;

processes 3, low, rounded, central, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 5–15 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Allium columbianum

Allium brandegeei

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering late Apr–Jul.
Habitat Winter-wet, shallow soils on rock outcrops, or wet meadows Sandy, rocky soil
Elevation 300–1100 m (1000–3600 ft) 1200–3300 m (3900–10800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; ID; MT; NV; OR; UT; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 266.
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. 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. 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
Synonyms A. douglasii var. columbianum A. diehlii, A. minimum, A. tribracteatum var. diehlii
Name authority (Ownbey & Mingrone) P. M. Peterson: Syst. Bot. 13: 211. (1988) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 380. (1882)
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