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Geyer's onion

papery 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.

1–3, producing bulbels in basal cluster around roots, ovoid, 1–1.6 × 0.9–1.4 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, membranous, obscurely cellular-reticulate, cells quadrate, walls very sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats white or pink, cells obscure, quadrate.

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.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, 15–40 cm × 3–5 mm, margins entire.

Scape

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

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 15–40 cm × 1–3 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, loose, 15–35-flowered, ± globose, bulbils unknown;

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

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.

stellate, 7–12 mm;

tepals spreading, pink or less commonly white, ovate to elliptic, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, not carinate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, not involute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, central, triangular, short, margins minutely denticulate;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–20 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

coat dull;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

2n

= 14.

Allium geyeri

Allium membranaceum

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Wooded, shady slopes
Elevation 200–1400 m (700–4600 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.)

Allium membranaceum is found in the foothills of the northern and central Sierra Nevada.

(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. 256.
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. hoffmanii, A. howellii, A. hyalinum, A. jepsonii, A. kunthii, A. lacunosum, A. lemmonii, A. macropetalum, A. macrum, A. madidum, 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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