Allium obtusum |
Allium praecox |
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red Sierra onion, red Sierran onion |
early onion |
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Bulbs | 1–5, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.8 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, membranous, cellular-reticulate, cells quadrate, polygonal, or ± rectangular, ± transversely elongate, without fibers; inner coats white, reticulation absent or cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
1–3, increase bulbs absent or ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid to globose, 1–1.8 × 1–1.7 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray-brown to brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells arranged in ± vertical rows, forming irregular herringbone pattern, transversely elongate, V-shaped, without fibers; inner coats white, cells obscure, ± transversely elongate, contorted. |
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Leaves | usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, 1–2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat or broadly channeled, ± falcate, 5–22 cm × 0.5–14 mm, margins entire. |
persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, carinate, 20–75 cm × 5–10 mm, margins entire. |
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Scape | usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 2–17 cm × 0.5–2 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–60 cm × 2–4 mm. |
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Umbel | persistent, erect, compact, 6–65-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3(–5), 5-8-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex abruptly acuminate to apiculate. |
shattering after seeds mature, each flower deciduous with its pedicel as a unit, erect, loose, 5–40-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 5–7-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate. |
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Flowers | campanulate, 4–12 mm; tepals erect, white or pink with dark purplish midveins, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute; stamens included; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 3, obscure to ± prominent, rounded, central, margins entire; style linear, equaling stamens or longer; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed; pedicel 2–14(–20) mm. |
stellate, 6–13 mm; tepals spreading at anthesis, white to pale pink with purple midveins, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, becoming papery and connivent over capsule, margins entire, apex acute, obtuse, or emarginate; stamens included; anthers purple and yellow; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute, margins entire; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 15–40 mm. |
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Seed | coat dull; cells ± smooth. |
coat shining; cells minutely roughened. |
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2n | = 14. |
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Allium obtusum |
Allium praecox |
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Phenology | Flowering Mar–May. | |||||
Habitat | Clay soil on shaded, grassy slopes near coast | |||||
Elevation | 50–800 m (200–2600 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
CA; NV
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CA; Mexico (Baja California)
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Discussion | Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). Allium obtusum is known only from the Sierra Nevada. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 269. | FNA vol. 26, p. 263. | ||||
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | A. hyalinum var. praecox | |||||
Name authority | Lemmon: Pittonia 2: 69. (1890) | Brandegee: Zoë 5: 228. (1906) | ||||
Web links |