Allium dichlamydeum |
Allium cepa |
|
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coast onion, coastal onion |
cultivated onion, garden onion |
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Bulbs | 1–3, increase bulbs absent or ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid to ± globose, 10–15 mm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells arranged in ± vertical rows, forming distinct herringbone pattern, transversely elongate, V-shaped, without fibers; inner coats white, cells obscure, arranged in vertical rows, forming distinct herringbone pattern, transversely elongate, V-shaped. |
1–3, not rhizomatous, mostly depressed-globose, varying in size from cultivar to cultivar, 5–8 × 3–10 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, yellowish brown, red, or white, membranous, without reticulation; inner coats white to pink, cells obscure to quadrate. |
Leaves | persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 3–6, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, subterete or ± channeled, arcuate to ± tortuous, 7–25 cm × 1–3 mm, margins entire. |
persistent, 4–10, sheathing proximal 1/6–1/4 scape; blade fistulose, usually ± semicircular in cross section, 10–50 cm × 4–20 mm. |
Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–30 cm × 2–3 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, fistulose, inflated below middle, 30–100 cm × 3–20 mm. |
Umbel | persistent, erect, compact, 5–30-flowered, conic to hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 4–6-veined, broadly ovate, ± equal, apex abruptly acuminate. |
persistent, erect, compact, to 500-flowered, globose, bulbils occasionally found; spathe bracts caducous, 2–3, 3–4-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute to acuminate. |
Flowers | campanulate, 9–12 mm; tepals ± erect, deep reddish purple, ovate, unequal, inner shorter and narrower than outer, becoming rigid and ± carinate in fruit, margins entire or inner minutely denticulate, apex acute to obtuse, spreading to recurved at tips; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute, margins entire; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed or minutely 3-lobed; pedicel 5–20 mm. |
stellate to campanulate to urceolate, 3–7 mm; tepals erect to ± spreading, white to pink with greenish midveins, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute, outer ovate, inner oblong; stamens exserted; anthers white; pollen white; ovary crestless; style linear, ± equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed; pedicel 10–50 mm. |
Seed | coat dull or shining; cells minutely roughened. |
coat not known. |
2n | = 14. |
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Allium dichlamydeum |
Allium cepa |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Dry, clay soils on or near sea cliffs | Disturbed sites adjacent to areas where cultivated |
Elevation | 10–50 m (0–200 ft) | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) |
Distribution |
CA
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AR; CA; KS; LA; MT; OR; TX; WA; cultivated in Europe; Asia
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Discussion | The onion of commerce, Allium cepa is widely cultivated as a biennial in North America, Europe, and Asia. It is unknown in the wild and is probably derived from A. oschanini of central Asia. The cultivated form is often polyploid (2n = 16, 32, 54) and possibly of hybrid origin. It exists in numerous cultivars, a few of which form large bulbils in the umbel. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 264. | FNA vol. 26, p. 244. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Greene: Pittonia 1: 166. (1888) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 301. (1753) |
Web links |