Allium columbianum |
Allium shevockii |
|
---|---|---|
Columbia onion, Columbian onion |
Spanish needle 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. |
2–10+, forming threadlike rhizomes, rhizomes 3–10 cm, terminated by bulbels and/or 1–2 basal bulbels that in turn may produce threadlike rhizomes, ± globose, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 cm; outer coats enclosing single bulb, brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers; inner coats light yellow, turning reddish on drying, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
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. |
persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, terete, 20–40 cm × 2–4 mm. |
Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, enlarged proximal to inflorescence, (10–)20–30(–40) cm × 1.5–4 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–20+ cm × 1–5 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, 12–30-flowered, globose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, usually 3, 5–7-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex apiculate. |
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, 12–14 mm; tepals spreading, unequal; outer tepals maroon, oblanceolate, margins irregularly shallow-toothed, apex acute to mucronate, reflexed-curled; inner tepals maroon distally, white proximally, ovate, withering in fruit, curled back at tip, margins entire, apex acute, reflexed; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 6, prominent, narrowly triangular, margins entire, apex emarginate; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, 3-lobed, lobes slender, recurved; pedicel 10–16 mm. |
Seed | coat shining; cells smooth. |
coat shining; cells minutely roughened. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14. |
Allium columbianum |
Allium shevockii |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering Jun–Jul. |
Habitat | Winter-wet, shallow soils on rock outcrops, or wet meadows | Soil pockets on schist outcrops |
Elevation | 300–1100 m (1000–3600 ft) | 2200–2400 m (7200–7900 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; WA
|
CA |
Discussion | Of conservation concern. Allium shevockii is known only from the upper slopes of Spanish Needle Peak in the southern Sierra Nevada and from Horse Canyon, Tehachapi Mountains. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 26. | FNA vol. 26, p. 252. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. douglasii var. columbianum | |
Name authority | (Ownbey & Mingrone) P. M. Peterson: Syst. Bot. 13: 211. (1988) | McNeal: Madroño 34: 150, fig. 1. (1987) |
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