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Nevada onion

Chinese chive, garlic chives, oriental garlic

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, borne on stout, ± horizontal rhizome, elongate, cylindric or conic, 0.5–1.5 × 0.7–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, reticulate, cells ± fine-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats white, cells closely parallel, elongate.

Leaves

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

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

withering from tip by anthesis, 2–5, sheathing scape to ± soil level;

blade solid, flat, carinate abaxially, 20–40 cm × 2–6 mm, margins entire.

Scape

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

persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 30–50 cm × 1–3 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, loose, 20–50-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 1–3, 3–7-veined, lance-ovate, shorter than pedicel, apex 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.

substellate, 4–9 mm;

tepals spreading, white with green or brownish midveins, lanceolate to elliptic, ± equal, withering and exposing capsule, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen white;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel 10–30 mm.

Seed

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

coat shining;

cells smooth, irregularly shaped, with ± sinuous walls.

2n

= 14, 28.

Allium nevadense

Allium tuberosum

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Sandy, rocky, or occasionally clay soils on desert plains and hillsides Roadsides and other disturbed ground
Elevation 1400–1700 m (4600–5600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
IA; NE; WI; se Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium tuberosum is cultivated in China, Siberia, and North America, and is reported to be established in New England. It may escape anywhere the species is cultivated.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 248. FNA vol. 26, p. 240.
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. 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. tuolumnense, A. unifolium, A. validum, A. victorialis, A. vineale, A. yosemitense
Synonyms A. nevadense var. macropetalum
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 351, plate 38, figs. 1–3. (1871) Rottler ex Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 2: 38. (1825)
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