Allium crenulatum |
Allium bigelovii |
|
---|---|---|
Olympic onion, scalloped onion |
Bigelow's onion |
|
Bulbs | 1–6+, replaced annually with new bulbs borne terminally on rhizomes; rhizomes 1–2, secondary, short; parent bulb disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and shriveled bulb coat, oblique-ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.8 cm; outer coats not or only partially enclosing bulbs, brown to gray-brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers; inner coats white, cells very obscurely quadrate or not visible. |
usually solitary, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ± globose, 1–1.5 × 1.2–1.5 cm; outer coats enclosing single bulb, dark brown, prominently reticulate, membranous, cells irregularly arranged, vertically elongate, rectangular to ± contorted, without fibers; inner coats white, cells obscure, quadrate. |
Leaves | usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, (1–)2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, falcate, 10–33 cm × 1.5–10 mm, margins sometimes minutely denticulate. |
persistent, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, subterete to channeled, 16–21 cm × 2–4 mm, margins entire. |
Scape | usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, ± erect, solid, flattened, winged distally, wings frequently crenulate proximal to umbel, 5–15 cm × 1–5 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 5–12 cm × 1–4 mm. |
Umbel | persistent, erect, compact, 10–25-flowered, conic to hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 8–10-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex acute. |
persistent, erect, loose to ± compact, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 2–11-veined, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, apex acute to acuminate. |
Flowers | campanulate, 6–12 mm; tepals erect, pinkish with deeper pink midveins, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acute; stamens included; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow; ovary obscurely crested; processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute, margins entire; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 6–16 mm. |
campanulate, (8–)10–14 mm; tepals erect, pink to reddish at tip and along midvein, otherwise white, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery and ± rigid in fruit, margins entire, apex acute; stamens included; anthers purple; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 6, prominent, flat, triangular, margins entire to coarsely toothed; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed; pedicel 10–15 mm. |
Seed | coat shining; cells smooth. |
coat shining; cells smooth. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14. |
Allium crenulatum |
Allium bigelovii |
|
Phenology | Flowering late May–Jul. | Flowering late Mar–May. |
Habitat | Talus slopes and clay soils, including serpentine, on bald summits and ridges | Open, rocky, gravelly slopes |
Elevation | 600–2500 m (2000–8200 ft) | 500–1700 m (1600–5600 ft) |
Distribution |
OR; WA; BC
|
AZ; NM |
Discussion | Allium crenulatum is known only from west of the Cascade Mountains from Vancouver Island to southwestern Oregon, in Jefferson Park, Oregon, and in the Wenatchee Mountains, central Washington. The disjunct populations of Allium crenulatum in western Oregon are markedly different among themselves and from the more typical representatives to the north. It has thus far proven impossible to draw meaningful taxonomic distinctions among these populations, hence we have followed historical precedent and have placed them all in a single, highly variable species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Allium bigelovii is an anomalous species that does not appear to be closely related to any other from North America. With its prominent ovarian crests, a relationship with the group of species around A. fimbriatum, A. nevadense, and A. sanbornii is suggested. Allium bigelovii differs from this group, however, in having two leaves and a seed coat with smooth cells. In addition its bulb-coat reticulation is unlike that of any other North American species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 274. | FNA vol. 26, p. 259. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. cascadense, A. vancouverense, A. watsonii | |
Name authority | Wiegand: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 135, plate 355, fig. 1. (1899) | S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 487, plate 38, figs. 8, 9. (1871) |
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