Allium praecox |
Allium triquetrum |
|
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early onion |
three-corner leek, three-cornered leek, white flower onion |
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Bulbs | 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. |
5–20+, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, rhizomes absent, increase bulbs absent or ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, ovoid, 1–2 × 1–2 cm; outer coats enclosing renewal bulbs, ± translucent, yellow-brown, obscurely cellular-reticulate, thin, membranous, meshes delicate, cells vertically elongate, contorted, without fibers; inner coats white, cells obscure, quadrate, or not visible. |
Leaves | 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. |
persistent, green at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat, not falcate, ± carinate, 15–50 cm × 3–15 mm, margins entire. |
Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–60 cm × 2–4 mm. |
persistent, clustered, 1–4, erect, solid, sharply 3-angled, 10–40 cm × 1–10 mm. |
Umbel | 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. |
persistent, lax, loose, 3–15-flowered, ± 1-sided, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 1–2, 3-veined, narrowly lanceolate, ± equal, apex acute. |
Flowers | 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. |
becoming pendent, campanulate, 10–18 mm; tepals erect to spreading, white with prominent green midrib, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming membranous in fruit, margins entire, apex acute; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary crestless; style linear, ± equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 15–25 mm. |
Seed(s) | coat shining; cells minutely roughened. |
coat dull; cells minutely roughened. |
2n | = 14. |
= 18. |
Allium praecox |
Allium triquetrum |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–May. | Flowering Mar–Apr. |
Habitat | Clay soil on shaded, grassy slopes near coast | Disturbed sites |
Elevation | 50–800 m (200–2600 ft) | 0–100 m (0–300 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; Mexico (Baja California)
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CA; sw Europe [Introduced in North America]
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Discussion | Allium triquetrum is a garden escape, introduced from southwestern Europe, and is potentially a noxious weed. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 263. | FNA vol. 26, p. 257. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. hyalinum var. praecox | |
Name authority | Brandegee: Zoë 5: 228. (1906) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 300. (1753) |
Web links |