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Nevius' garlic, Nevius' onion

chive, wild chives

Bulbs

1–5+, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 1–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown, membranous, ± reticulate, cells quadrate to polygonal, vertically oblong, without fibers;

inner coats white or pink, cells obscure, quadrate.

1 or more, clustered, short-rhizomatous at base, cylindric, elongate, 0.5–0.9 × 1.5–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing bulbs, grayish or brownish, persisting as fibrous reticulum but often appearing membranous as outer coats are lost during collecting, cells minutely striate;

inner coats whitish or pinkish, cells closely parallel, elongate.

Leaves

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

blade solid, flat or ± channeled, falcate, 12–25 cm × 2–3 mm, margins entire.

persistent, green at anthesis, usually 2, distalmost usually ensheathing 1/3–1/2 scape;

blade hollow, terete, fistulose, 20–60 cm × 2–7 mm.

Scape

persistent, 1–3, erect, solid, terete or somewhat flattened, 2-edged, not expanded proximal to inflorescence, 15–30 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, 2–12+, clustered, erect, terete, fistulose, 20–50 cm × 3–5 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, compact, 10–30-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 5–6-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute.

persistent, erect, compact, 30–50-flowered, ± subglobose, bulbils unknown;

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

Flowers

campanulate to substellate, 6–8 mm;

tepals spreading, rose-colored, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate;

stamens ± equaling tepals, or exserted;

anthers blue-gray;

pollen light blue or gray;

ovary distinctly crested;

processes 6, 2 per lobe, low, rounded, margins entire;

style exserted, linear;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel 8–12 mm.

campanulate, 8–12 mm;

tepals erect, pale purple to deep lilac, drying pink, particularly on midrib, or white, elliptic to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, permanently investing capsule, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, tips ± recurved, midribs not thickened;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen white;

ovary crestless;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed;

pedicel 2–6 mm.

Seed

coat dull;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells minutely roughened, not pustuliferous.

2n

= 14.

= 16.

Allium nevii

Allium schoenoprasum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Heavy, rocky soils, wet meadows, or along streams Wet meadows, rocky or gravelly stream banks and lake shores, circumboreal
Elevation 30–1900 m (100–6200 ft) 0–3500 m (0–11500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; CO; CT; ID; MA; ME; MI; MN; MT; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; VT; WA; WI; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NL; NS; NT; NU; ON; PE; QC; SK; YT; Siberia
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium schoenoprasum is native in North America, but it is also cultivated and has widely escaped. It is an extremely polymorphic species, and throughout its range both large and small races occur. These plants have been known as A. sibiricum, A. schoenoprasum var. sibiricum, or A. schoenoprasum var. laurentianum, and many, largely unsuccessful, attempts have been made to distinguish the varieties. Until the variation can be worked out along natural lines, if any, instead of unstable features such as plant size, and color and shape of the tepals, recognition of these varieties is unsound. Because we are unable to separate native populations from many of the escaped ones, we cannot reliably map the native distribution of this taxon in the flora.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 267. 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. nevadense, 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. 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. douglasii var. nevii A. schoenoprasum var. laurentianum, A. schoenoprasum var. sibiricum, A. sibiricum
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 231. (1879) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 301. (1753)
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