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Allium fibrillum

Blue Mountain onion, Cuddy Mountain onion, fringe onion

meadow garlic, wild onion

Bulbs

1–5+, without cluster of basal bulbels, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ± globose, 0.5–1.2 × 0.5–1 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish, membranous, reticulate;

cells very fine, often obscure, narrow, ± transversely elongate, intricately contorted, without fibers;

inner coats white to pink, cells obscure, transversely elongate, intricately contorted.

1–4+, without rhizome, with or without basal bulbels, often clustered, ovoid, 1–2.5 × 0.6–3 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish or grayish, reticulate, cells fine-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats whitish, cells vertically elongate, sometimes contorted, walls straight or ± sinuous.

Leaves

usually persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, ± falcate, linear, channeled, 7–24 cm × 0.5–3 mm, margins entire.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–6, basally sheathing, sheaths extending less than 1/4 scape;

blade solid, flat, channeled, not carinate, 20–50 cm × 1–7 mm, margins entire or denticulate, apex acute to obtuse.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete or slightly flattened to very narrowly winged, 3–15 cm × 0.5–2 mm.

persistent, usually solitary, erect, terete, 10–60 cm × 1–5 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, compact, 10–20-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 4–6-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

persistent, erect, loose, 0–60-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown or flowering pedicels replaced at least in part by bulbils;

spathe bracts persistent, 3–4, 3–7-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate, beakless.

Flowers

campanulate, 5–8 mm;

tepals erect, white with prominent greenish or pink midribs, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse to acuminate, ± involute at tip;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crestless or obscurely crested;

processes 3, low, rounded, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel 3–10 mm.

urceolate-campanulate, 4–8 mm;

tepals erect or spreading, white to pink or lavender, lanceolate to elliptic, ± equal, withering in fruit and exposing capsule, midribs somewhat thickened, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary, when present, crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 8–70 mm.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

2n

= 14.

Allium fibrillum

Allium canadense

Phenology Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Moist, shallow soils
Elevation 300–2600 m (1000–8500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium fibrillum closely resembles A. madidum but does not have a cluster of basal bulbels.

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

Varieties 6 (6 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Flowering pedicels mostly or entirely replaced by bulbils, rarely producing capsules or seeds.
var. canadense
1. Flowering pedicels all floriferous, bulbils almost unknown, producing capsules and seeds.
→ 2
2. Tepals usually white.
var. fraseri
2. Tepals pinkish to lilac.
→ 3
3. Pedicels filiform; scape 10–30(–50) cm.
var. mobilense
3. Pedicels stouter, not filiform; scape 10–60 cm.
→ 4
4. Umbels 5–25-flowered; pedicels 3–4 times flowers; tepals thick.
var. ecristatum
4. Umbels usually more than 25-flowered; pedicels 2–5 times flowers; tepals thin.
→ 5
5. Flowers fragrant; scape 15–30 cm; nc Texas to s Oklahoma.
var. hyacinthoides
5. Flowers odorless; scape 20–60 cm; n Oklahoma to n Arkansas, northward.
var. lavendulare
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 266. FNA vol. 26, p. 235.
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. dichlamydeum, A. dictuon, A. douglasii, A. drummondii, A. elmendorfii, A. falcifolium, 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. 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. 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. canadense var. canadense, A. canadense var. ecristatum, A. canadense var. fraseri, A. canadense var. hyacinthoides, A. canadense var. lavendulare, A. canadense var. mobilense
Synonyms A. collinum
Name authority M. E. Jones ex Abrams: in L. Abrams and R. S. Ferris, Ill. Fl. Pacific States 1: 393. (1923) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 1195. (1753)
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