The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Parry's fringe onion

Olympic onion, scalloped onion

Bulbs

1–3, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid to globose, 0.8–1.4 × 0.8–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown to reddish brown, chartaceous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats light brown, cells obscure, quadrate.

1–6+, replaced annually with new bulbs borne terminally on rhizomes;

rhizomes 1–2, secondary, short;

parent bulb disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and shriveled bulb coat, oblique-ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.8 cm;

outer coats not or only partially enclosing bulbs, brown to gray-brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells very obscurely quadrate or not visible.

Leaves

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

blade solid, terete, 12–28 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, falcate, 10–33 cm × 1.5–10 mm, margins sometimes minutely denticulate.

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, flattened, winged distally, wings frequently crenulate proximal to umbel, 5–15 cm × 1–5 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, 8–50-flowered, hemispheric, bulbels unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 4–6-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex setaceous.

persistent, erect, compact, 10–25-flowered, conic to hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 8–10-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex acute.

Flowers

campanulate, 6–9 mm;

tepals erect, white to pink, becoming deep pink to red after anthesis, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, becoming ± rigid in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, flaring distally;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, ± triangular, margins ± irregularly toothed, apex emarginate;

style linear, equaling stamens or shorter;

stigma capitate, 3-lobed, lobes slender, recurved;

pedicel 6–20 mm, flexuous in fruit.

campanulate, 6–12 mm;

tepals erect, pinkish with deeper pink midveins, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow or purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary obscurely crested;

processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 6–16 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells minutely roughened.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Allium parryi

Allium crenulatum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul. Flowering late May–Jul.
Habitat Clay or sandy soils on dry slopes Talus slopes and clay soils, including serpentine, on bald summits and ridges
Elevation 900–2200 m (3000–7200 ft) 600–2500 m (2000–8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
OR; WA; BC
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium crenulatum is known only from west of the Cascade Mountains from Vancouver Island to southwestern Oregon, in Jefferson Park, Oregon, and in the Wenatchee Mountains, central Washington.

The disjunct populations of Allium crenulatum in western Oregon are markedly different among themselves and from the more typical representatives to the north. It has thus far proven impossible to draw meaningful taxonomic distinctions among these populations, hence we have followed historical precedent and have placed them all in a single, highly variable species.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 253. FNA vol. 26, p. 274.
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. parishii, 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. 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. tuberosum, A. tuolumnense, A. unifolium, A. validum, A. victorialis, A. vineale, A. yosemitense
Synonyms A. fimbriatum var. parryi, A. kessleri A. cascadense, A. vancouverense, A. watsonii
Name authority S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 231. (1879) Wiegand: Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 26: 135, plate 355, fig. 1. (1899)
Web links