Allium stellatum |
Allium bolanderi |
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autumn onion, prairie onion |
Bolander's onion |
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Bulbs | 1–5+, usually clustered, often short-rhizomatous at base, rhizome not stout or iris-like, ovoid, 2–4 × 1–2.5 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, grayish or brownish, membranous, fibers parallel, few, or sometimes reticulate, cells obscure, finely meshed; inner coats whitish to pinkish, cells obscure, ± quadrate. |
1–6+, not basally clustered, replaced annually by new bulbs borne terminally on rhizomes; rhizomes 1–3, inconspicuous, slender, less than 2 cm including renewal bulb; parent bulbs disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and bulb coat, oblique-ovoid to ± oblong, 0.7–1.4 × 0.5–1.2 cm; outer coats not enclosing bulbs, brown to gray-brown, ± obscurely reticulate, membranous, reticulum delicate, cells transversely elongate, V-shaped or ± wavy, forming obscure herringbone pattern, without fibers; inner coats white, cells obscure, quadrate to ± rectangular, often contorted. |
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Leaves | persistent, green at anthesis, 3–5, basally sheathing, sheaths never extending much above soil level; blade solid, flat, channeled, 14–35 cm × 1–5 mm, margins ± entire. |
persistent, withering from tip at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, subterete to ± channeled, 9–30 cm × 1–2 mm, margins entire. |
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Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, or, if nodding at anthesis, becoming erect, solid, terete or ± 4-angled, particularly distally, 20–50 cm × 1–3.5 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–35 cm × 1–3 mm. |
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Umbel | persistent, nodding, becoming erect, ± loose, 9–40-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 2–4-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate. |
persistent, erect, compact to loose, 10–20-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 4–6-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate. |
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Flowers | stellate, 5–8 mm; tepals spreading, deep pink, elliptic-lanceolate, ± equal, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acute, midribs not thickened; stamens exserted; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary conspicuously crested; processes 6, distinct, flattened, ± triangular, margins entire or toothed; style exserted, linear, ± equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 0–20 mm. |
conic to campanulate, 7–14 mm; tepals erect, reddish purple, rarely white, narrowly lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, becoming rigid and carinate in fruit, margins finely denticulate (inner tepal more prominently so), apex acute to obtuse, becoming involute at tip and appearing acuminate; stamens included; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute, margins entire; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, obscurely 3-lobed, scarcely thickened; pedicel 10–20 mm. |
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Seed | coat dull; cells minutely roughened. |
coat dull; cells minutely roughened. |
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2n | = 14. |
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Allium stellatum |
Allium bolanderi |
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Phenology | Flowering Jul–Oct. | |||||
Habitat | Often on calcareous soils | |||||
Elevation | 300–2200 m (1000–7200 ft) | |||||
Distribution |
AR; IA; IL; KS; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; OK; SD; TN; TX; WI; MB; ON; SK
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CA; OR
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Discussion | Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). The varieties of Allium bolanderi are extremely difficult to distinguish in the absence of bulb material. Care must be taken to obtain good bulb material whenever collecting Allium, but it is extremely critical in this species. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 26. | FNA vol. 26, p. 259. | ||||
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Name authority | Ker Gawler: Bot. Mag. 38: plate 1576. (1813) | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 14: 229. (1879) | ||||
Web links |