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

autumn onion, prairie onion

beegum onion

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.

usually solitary, not clustered on stout primary rhizomes, ovoid, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 cm;

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

inner coats white or pink, cells not visible.

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.

usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat or broadly channeled, ± falcate, 10–22 cm × 4–8 mm, margins entire.

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.

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 5–10 cm × 0.5–2 mm.

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, 10–40-flowered, globose to conic, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 3–4, 3-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

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.

conical to campanulate, 8–10 mm;

tepals strictly erect, pink to purplish with prominent greenish midvein, linear-lanceolate, ± equal, becoming membranous, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate;

stamens exserted;

filaments papillose-glandular proximally;

anthers purple;

pollen yellow or gray;

ovary crested;

processes 6, obscure, central, low, rounded, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 8–15 mm.

Seed

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

coat dull;

cells smooth.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Allium stellatum

Allium hoffmanii

Phenology Flowering Jul–Oct. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Often on calcareous soils Serpentine clay
Elevation 300–2200 m (1000–7200 ft) 1100–1800 m (3600–5900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; IA; IL; KS; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; OK; SD; TN; TX; WI; MB; ON; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Source FNA vol. 26. FNA vol. 26, p. 273.
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. 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. 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. 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
Name authority Ker Gawler: Bot. Mag. 38: plate 1576. (1813) Ownbey ex Traub: Pl. Life 28: 63. (1972)
Web links