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Geyer's onion

beegum onion

Bulbs

2–10+, not rhizomatous, ovoid or more elongate, 1–2.5 × 0.8–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray or brown, reticulate, cells rather coarse-meshed, open, fibrous;

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

usually solitary, not clustered on stout primary rhizomes, ovoid, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing single bulb, brown or gray, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats white or pink, cells not visible.

Leaves

persistent, usually green at anthesis, usually 3–5, sheathing less than 1/4 scape;

blade solid, ± straight, flat, channeled, (6–)12–30 cm × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire or denticulate.

usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat or broadly channeled, ± falcate, 10–22 cm × 4–8 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, terete or somewhat 2-angled, 10–50 cm × 1–3 mm.

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 5–10 cm × 0.5–2 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, compact, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric to globose, not producing bulbils, or 0–5-flowered, largely replaced by ovoid, acuminate bulbils;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, mostly 1-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate, beakless.

persistent, erect, compact, 10–40-flowered, globose to conic, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 3–4, 3-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

Flowers

urceolate-campanulate, (4–)6–8(–10) mm;

tepals erect or spreading, pink to white, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, not withering in fruit and permanently investing fruit, or withering if fruit not produced, midribs papillose, becoming callous-keeled, margins often obscurely toothed, apex obtuse to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary when present, inconspicuously crested;

processes 6, central, low, distinct or connate in pairs across septa, ± erect, rounded, margins entire, becoming variously developed or obsolete in fruit;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed;

pedicel becoming rigid and stiffly spreading in fruit, 8–13 mm.

conical to campanulate, 8–10 mm;

tepals strictly erect, pink to purplish with prominent greenish midvein, linear-lanceolate, ± equal, becoming membranous, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate;

stamens exserted;

filaments papillose-glandular proximally;

anthers purple;

pollen yellow or gray;

ovary crested;

processes 6, obscure, central, low, rounded, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 8–15 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

coat dull;

cells smooth.

2n

= 14.

Allium geyeri

Allium hoffmanii

Phenology Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Serpentine clay
Elevation 1100–1800 m (3600–5900 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
w North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Umbel fully floriferous, not producing bulbils, ovaries mostly all producing seeds.
var. geyeri
1. Umbel not fully floriferous, producing 0–5, mostly sterile flowers, flowers mostly replaced by ovoid, acuminate bulbils.
var. tenerum
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 237. FNA vol. 26, p. 273.
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. fibrillum, A. fimbriatum, A. fistulosum, 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. 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. geyeri var. geyeri, A. geyeri var. tenerum
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 227. (1879) Ownbey ex Traub: Pl. Life 28: 63. (1972)
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