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Nevada onion

pitted onion

Bulbs

1–3, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, with 0–2 stalked, basal bulbels, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, membranous, usually prominently cellular-reticulate, cells ± transversely elongate, intricately contorted, without fibers;

inner coats white or pinkish, cells elongate, intricately contorted.

1–3(–5), not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 1–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, accumulating and investing bulb with thick cover, cells square, polygonal, or ± transversely elongate, walls thick, sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats white to light brown, cells ± obscure, quadrate.

Leaves

persistent, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, terete, 10–20 cm × 1–3 mm.

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

blade solid, flattened, subterete or ± channeled and carinate, ± falcate, 10–30 cm × 0.5–3 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, ± solid, terete, 5–15 cm × 1–2.5 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–35 cm × 1–4 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, compact, 5–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

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

persistent, erect, compact or loose, 5–45-flowered, bulbils unknown, umbel shattering after seeds mature, each flower deciduous with its pedicel;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 4–6-veined, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, apex obtuse or acuminate.

Flowers

stellate, 7–12 mm;

tepals spreading, white or pinkish white with dark pink midveins, lanceolate to ovate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, ± triangular, margins entire to notched or shallowly toothed;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 8–16 mm.

campanulate, 4–9 mm;

tepals erect or spreading from base, white to deep pink with darker midveins, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, margins entire, apex obtuse, acute, or short-acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary 3-grooved with ridge on either side of each groove, ridges prolonged into crest, ridges and crest densely covered with minute, rounded papillae;

processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 4–30 mm.

Seed

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

2n

= 14, 28.

Allium nevadense

Allium lacunosum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Sandy, rocky, or occasionally clay soils on desert plains and hillsides
Elevation 1400–1700 m (4600–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 4 (4 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Umbel compact; pedicel 0.75–1.5 times flower; scape 10–25 cm.
→ 2
1. Umbel loose; pedicel equaling–3.5 times flower; scape 15–35 cm.
→ 3
2. Scape 10–20 cm; leaf blade 1–2 times scape; flowers (6–)7–9 mm; Coast Ranges of c California and Channel Islands.
var. lacunosum
2. Scape 15–25 cm; leaf blade equaling or shorter than scape; flowers 6–7(–8) mm; Sierra Nevada, California.
var. kernensis
3. Leaf blade subterete, 1 mm or less wide, straight; spathe bracts 3, apex obtuse or acute; flowers 4–6 mm.
var. micranthum
3. Leaf blade ± carinate, to 3 mm wide, ± falcate; spathe bracts 2, apex acuminate; flowers 6–8 mm.
var. davisiae
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 248. FNA vol. 26, p. 260.
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. macrum, A. madidum, A. membranaceum, A. monticola, A. munzii, A. neapolitanum, 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. 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. lacunosum var. davisiae, A. lacunosum var. kernensis, A. lacunosum var. lacunosum, A. lacunosum var. micranthum
Synonyms A. nevadense var. macropetalum
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 351, plate 38, figs. 1–3. (1871) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 231. (1879)
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