Allium fibrillum |
Allium cepa |
|
---|---|---|
Blue Mountain onion, Cuddy Mountain onion, fringe onion |
cultivated onion, garden 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. |
1–3, 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 | 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, 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 or slightly flattened to very narrowly winged, 3–15 cm × 0.5–2 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, fistulose, inflated below middle, 30–100 cm × 3–20 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, compact, to 500-flowered, globose, bulbils occasionally found; spathe bracts caducous, 2–3, 3–4-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute to acuminate. |
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. |
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 smooth. |
coat not known. |
2n | = 14. |
|
Allium fibrillum |
Allium cepa |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jul. | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Moist, shallow soils | Disturbed sites adjacent to areas where cultivated |
Elevation | 300–2600 m (1000–8500 ft) | 0–500 m (0–1600 ft) |
Distribution |
ID; MT; OR; WA
|
AR; CA; KS; LA; MT; OR; TX; WA; cultivated in Europe; Asia
|
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.) |
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.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 266. | FNA vol. 26, p. 244. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
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. 1: 301. (1753) |
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