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coast onion, coastal onion

pitted onion

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(–5), not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 1–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, accumulating and investing bulb with thick cover, cells square, polygonal, or ± transversely elongate, walls thick, sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats white to light brown, cells ± obscure, 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, withering from tip at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flattened, subterete or ± channeled and carinate, ± falcate, 10–30 cm × 0.5–3 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–30 cm × 2–3 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–35 cm × 1–4 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 or loose, 5–45-flowered, bulbils unknown, umbel shattering after seeds mature, each flower deciduous with its pedicel;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 4–6-veined, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, apex obtuse or 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.

campanulate, 4–9 mm;

tepals erect or spreading from base, white to deep pink with darker midveins, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, margins entire, apex obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary 3-grooved with ridge on either side of each groove, ridges prolonged into crest, ridges and crest densely covered with minute, rounded papillae;

processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 4–30 mm.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

2n

= 14.

Allium dichlamydeum

Allium lacunosum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Dry, clay soils on or near sea cliffs
Elevation 10–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Umbel compact; pedicel 0.75–1.5 times flower; scape 10–25 cm.
→ 2
1. Umbel loose; pedicel equaling–3.5 times flower; scape 15–35 cm.
→ 3
2. Scape 10–20 cm; leaf blade 1–2 times scape; flowers (6–)7–9 mm; Coast Ranges of c California and Channel Islands.
var. lacunosum
2. Scape 15–25 cm; leaf blade equaling or shorter than scape; flowers 6–7(–8) mm; Sierra Nevada, California.
var. kernensis
3. Leaf blade subterete, 1 mm or less wide, straight; spathe bracts 3, apex obtuse or acute; flowers 4–6 mm.
var. micranthum
3. Leaf blade ± carinate, to 3 mm wide, ± falcate; spathe bracts 2, apex acuminate; flowers 6–8 mm.
var. davisiae
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 264. FNA vol. 26, p. 260.
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. columbianum, A. constrictum, A. coryi, A. cratericola, A. crenulatum, A. crispum, A. cuthbertii, A. denticulatum, A. diabolense, 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. brandegeei, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
A. lacunosum var. davisiae, A. lacunosum var. kernensis, A. lacunosum var. lacunosum, A. lacunosum var. micranthum
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 1: 166. (1888) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 231. (1879)
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