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coast onion, coastal 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.

1–50+, ovoid, 0.2–1.5 × 0.2–1 cm;

outer coats surrounding numerous, very dark purple bulbels, usually white or greenish, membranous, sometimes breaking into ± parallel, fibrous strips;

inner coats white, 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, 2–5, sheathing 1/3–1/2 scape;

blade solid, flat or channeled, carinate, 15–40 cm × 2–5(–7) mm, margins entire.

Scape

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

persistent, solitary, erect, ± solid, 25–90 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, very dense, 80–200-flowered, globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts caducous, 2, 7–12-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex narrowed to beak, beak to 2 cm.

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, 4–7 mm;

tepals erect, purple, or inner with broad whitish margins and purple midvein, oblong to ovate, ± equal, becoming keeled and ± rigid in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse;

stamens included;

filaments: outer unlobed, inner with 2 prominent teeth on either side of anther, teeth 2–3 times anther-bearing portion, usually papillose to ciliate;

anthers yellow or purple;

pollen light yellow to white;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling anther-bearing portion of stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicels 5–30 mm, outer much shorter than inner.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull;

cells each with central papilla.

2n

= 14.

Allium dichlamydeum

Allium rotundum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Dry, clay soils on or near sea cliffs Disturbed fields and roadsides
Elevation 10–50 m (0–200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
MI; c Europe; s Europe [Introduced in North America]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium rotundum is native to central and southern Europe. It is reported as established in southern Michigan, and is to be expected elsewhere in the Great Lakes region.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 264. FNA vol. 26, p. 244.
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. 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. 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
Name authority Greene: Pittonia 1: 166. (1888) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. ed. 2, 1: 423. (1762)
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