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Allium fibrillum

Blue Mountain onion, Cuddy Mountain onion, fringe onion

passey's 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.

2–3+, not rhizomatous, ovoid, 1–2 × 1.2–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown, reticulate, fibrous;

inner coats whitish to light brown, cells vertically elongate and regular or obscure.

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, 2–3, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, ± falcate, 10–20 cm × 3–6 mm, margins entire.

Scape

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

persistent, solitary, erect, terete or ± winged-angled, mostly 10–20 cm × 1–2.5 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, compact, 8–27-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–4, mostly 1-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate to caudate.

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.

campanulate, 7–9 mm;

tepals erect, light pink, narrowly lanceolate to lance-ovate, becoming callous-keeled, persistent and permanently investing capsule, margins entire, apex acuminate, inner shorter and narrower than outer, outer strongly keeled and gibbous at base;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary obscurely crested;

processes 6, central, ± erect, rounded, minute, to 1 mm, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–18 mm.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells smooth, each with minute, central papilla.

2n

= 14.

Allium fibrillum

Allium passeyi

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jun.
Habitat Moist, shallow soils Shallow, stony, lithosolic soil over dolomitic limestone, hilltops
Elevation 300–2600 m (1000–8500 ft) 1400–1600 m (4600–5200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; MT; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
UT
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Allium passeyi is known only from Box Elder County.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 266. FNA vol. 26, p. 242.
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. 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. 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
Synonyms A. collinum
Name authority M. E. Jones ex Abrams: in L. Abrams and R. S. Ferris, Ill. Fl. Pacific States 1: 393. (1923) N. H. Holmgren & A. H. Holmgren: Brittonia 26: 309, figs. 1, 4. (1974)
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