Allium rhizomatum |
Allium plummerae |
|
---|---|---|
spreading wild onion |
tanners canyon onion |
|
Bulbs | 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. |
usually 1 of a cluster, sometimes short-rhizomatous basally, elongate, to 5 × 1–1.5 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray or brown, reticulate, cells very coarse-meshed, open, fibrous; inner coats whitish, cells vertically elongate and regular or obscure. |
Leaves | 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. |
persistent, green at anthesis, 3–6, sheathing; blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, 25–50 cm × 3–7 mm, margins entire or minutely denticulate. |
Scape | solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–30 cm × 1–3 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, terete or ± 4-angled, 30–50 cm × 1–3.5 mm. |
Umbel | 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. |
persistent, erect, loose, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 3–5-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex long-acuminate. |
Flowers | 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. |
± stellate, 5–10 mm; tepals spreading or reflexed, white or pink, lanceolate, ± equal, withering in fruit and exposing capsules, margins entire, apex acute, midrib becoming noticeably thickened; stamens ± equaling tepals to exserted; anthers purple; pollen light yellow; ovary conspicuously crested; processes 6, central, usually connate in pairs across septa, ± erect, flattened, to 2 mm, margins lacerate, usually well developed in fruit; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed; pedicel 15–25 mm, elongating in fruit. |
Seed | coat shining; cells smooth. |
coat shining; cells each with minute, central papilla. |
2n | = 28. |
= 28. |
Allium rhizomatum |
Allium plummerae |
|
Phenology | Flowering Jul–Sep. | Flowering Jun–Sep. |
Habitat | Dry, usually grassy areas | Rocky slopes, stream banks, and marshy ground, mountains |
Elevation | 1200–2200 m (3900–7200 ft) | 1600–2800 m (5200–9200 ft) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico
|
AZ; Mexico |
Discussion | 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.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 26. | FNA vol. 26, p. 242. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Name authority | Wooton & Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 16: 114. (1913) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 18: 195. (1883) |
Web links |