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Parish's onion, wild onion

red Sierra onion, red Sierran onion

Bulbs

1–2, not clustered on primary rhizome, without stalked basal increase bulbs, ovoid, 1–1.5 × 0.8–1.3 cm;

outer coats enclosing bulbs, brown to reddish brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats pinkish to reddish brown, cells obscure, ± rectangular, vertically elongate.

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.

Leaves

persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil level;

blade solid, terete, 5–30 cm × 1–3 mm.

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.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 5–25 cm × 1–3 mm.

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.

Umbel

persistent, erect, compact, 6–15-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 5–7-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

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.

Flowers

narrowly campanulate, 12–18 mm;

tepals erect, spreading at tips, pale pink with darker midveins, lanceolate to lance-linear, ± equal, inner slightly shorter and narrower than outer, margins entire, apex acute, becoming rigid in fruit;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, ± triangular, margins entire to irregularly denticulate;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, minutely 3-lobed, lobes stout, ± spreading;

pedicel 5–15 mm.

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.

Seed

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull;

cells ± smooth.

2n

= 14.

Allium parishii

Allium obtusum

Phenology Flowering Apr–May.
Habitat Rocky, sandy desert slopes
Elevation 900–1400 m (3000–4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Key
1. Leaf blade 0.5–4 mm wide; umbels 6–20-flowered; tepals white with prominent, dark midveins, oblong-elliptic, apex obtuse.
var. obtusum
1. Leaf blade 2–14 mm wide; umbels 10–65-flowered; tepals pink with darker midveins, lanceolate, apex acute.
var. conspicuum
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 249. FNA vol. 26, p. 269.
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. nevii, A. nigrum, A. obtusum, A. oleraceum, A. paniculatum, 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. 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. obtusum var. conspicuum, A. obtusum var. obtusum
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 380. (1882) Lemmon: Pittonia 2: 69. (1890)
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