The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

rock onion

striped garlic

Bulbs

1–3, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, globose to ovate, 0.6–2 × 0.5–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats white, lacking cellular reticulation.

usually solitary, without basal bulbels, ovoid, 1–1.8 × 1–1.2 cm;

outer coats enclosing single bulb, grayish, reticulate, cells fine-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats whitish, cells vertically elongate, regular.

Leaves

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

blade solid, flat or channeled, ± falcate, 12–38 cm × 2–3 mm, margins entire.

persistent, withering by anthesis, 2, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, linear, 12–35 cm × 3–6 mm, margins entire or denticulate.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, ± terete, not expanded proximal to inflorescence, 9–32 cm × 0.5–4 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, terete or ± 3–4-angled, 20–40 cm × 1–3.5 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, 10–20-flowered, globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–7-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex abruptly acute.

persistent, erect, loose, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 5–7-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

Flowers

campanulate, 5–7 mm;

tepals spreading, white or pinkish with prominent red midveins, narrowly lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate;

stamens equaling tepals or exserted;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 3, thick, obtuse, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 5–20 mm.

± stellate, 7–9 mm;

tepals spreading to reflexed, white to pinkish or purple, lanceolate, ± equal, remaining thin and becoming strongly reflexed in fruit, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary conspicuously crested;

processes 6, central, irregularly contorted;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 14–45 mm.

Seed

coat dull;

cells ± smooth.

coat shining;

cells each with obscure, central papilla.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Allium macrum

Allium cuthbertii

Phenology Flowering Apr–May. Flowering May–early Jun.
Habitat Barren, gravelly soils On granitic “flat-rocks” of Piedmont and in sand on coastal plains
Elevation 100–1400 m (300–4600 ft) 0–300 m (0–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; GA; NC; SC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 267. FNA vol. 26, p. 241.
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. geyeri, A. gooddingii, A. haematochiton, A. hickmanii, A. hoffmanii, A. howellii, A. hyalinum, A. jepsonii, A. kunthii, A. lacunosum, A. lemmonii, A. macropetalum, 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. 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
Synonyms A. equicaeleste
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 233. (1879) Small: Fl. S.E. U.S., 264, 1328. (1903)
Web links