Allium obtusum |
Allium rhizomatum |
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red Sierra onion, red Sierran onion |
spreading wild 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. |
solitary, not basally clustered, replaced annually by new bulbs borne terminally on rhizome; rhizomes 1–3, conspicuous, slender, 2–3 cm, scaly; parent bulbs persisting, often not collected, oblique-ovoid, 1–2.5 × 1 cm; outer coats enclosing parent bulbs, grayish, lacking cellular reticulation, membranous, without fibers; inner coats white or hyaline, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
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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, green at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, not falcate, 20–35 cm × 2–3 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. |
solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–30 cm × 1–3 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. |
persistent, erect, loose, 5–15(–22)-flowered, globose to hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3-veined, ovate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acute. |
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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, 6–9 mm; tepals erect, pink with purplish or pinkish midveins, oblong to lanceolate, slightly carinate basally, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate; stamens included; anthers yellow or pink; pollen yellow or white; ovary crestless, 3-grooved with thickened ridge on either side of groove; style linear, shorter than stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 10–20(–50) mm. |
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Seed | coat dull; cells ± smooth. |
coat shining; cells smooth. |
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2n | = 28. |
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Allium obtusum |
Allium rhizomatum |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Sep. | |||||
Habitat | Dry, usually grassy areas | |||||
Elevation | 1200–2200 m (3900–7200 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
CA; NV
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AZ; NM; TX; Mexico
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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.) |
Allium rhizomatum has often been included within the Mexican species A. glandulosum. This reduction is unwarranted. The perianth of A. rhizomatum is pale, with the color mainly confined to the midribs. Additionally, the species can be distinguished by its 3-lobed, apically 3-grooved ovary and lack of sepal glands. Allium glandulosum has a red perianth, an apically rounded ovary, and sepal glands. The nectar produced from these glands does not show in herbarium specimens. (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. | ||||
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Name authority | Lemmon: Pittonia 2: 69. (1890) | Wooton & Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 114. (1913) | ||||
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