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ramp, small white leek, wild leek

Bigelow's onion

Bulbs

2–6, usually borne on short rhizome, ovoid-conic, 1.5–6 × 1.5–3 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish to grayish, reticulate, cells finely fibrous;

inner coat white, obscurely cellular, cells irregularly arranged.

usually solitary, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ± globose, 1–1.5 × 1.2–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing single bulb, dark brown, prominently reticulate, membranous, cells irregularly arranged, vertically elongate, rectangular to ± contorted, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells obscure, quadrate.

Leaves

ephemeral, usually absent at anthesis, 2–3, basal;

blade solid, flat, elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, (15–)20–30(–40) cm × 15–90 mm, tapering to long, slender petiole, margins entire.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, subterete to channeled, 16–21 cm × 2–4 mm, margins entire.

Scape

persistent, solitary, flexuous distally, terete, 10–40 cm × 2–4 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 5–12 cm × 1–4 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, (6–)30–50-flowered, obconic to ± hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, ± 3-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acute, beakless.

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

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 2–11-veined, lance-ovate to ovate, ± equal, apex acute to acuminate.

Flowers

campanulate, 4–7 mm;

tepals erect, white to cream or yellowish, oblong to ovate, ± equal, not withering in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse;

stamens ± equaling tepals;

anthers white to light yellow;

pollen white;

ovary crestless;

style included, linear, shorter than stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–20 mm.

campanulate, (8–)10–14 mm;

tepals erect, pink to reddish at tip and along midvein, otherwise white, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery and ± rigid in fruit, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, flat, triangular, margins entire to coarsely toothed;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 10–15 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

2n

= 14.

Allium tricoccum

Allium bigelovii

Phenology Flowering late Mar–May.
Habitat Open, rocky, gravelly slopes
Elevation 500–1700 m (1600–5600 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
e North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

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

Allium bigelovii is an anomalous species that does not appear to be closely related to any other from North America. With its prominent ovarian crests, a relationship with the group of species around A. fimbriatum, A. nevadense, and A. sanbornii is suggested. Allium bigelovii differs from this group, however, in having two leaves and a seed coat with smooth cells. In addition its bulb-coat reticulation is unlike that of any other North American species.

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

Key
1. Bulbs mostly 4–6 cm; leaf blades (3–)5–9 cm wide; spathe bracts 2–3 cm; umbel (15–)30–50-flowered.
var. tricoccum
1. Bulbs 2–4(–5) cm; leaf blades (1.5–)2–4(–4.5) cm wide; spathe bracts 1–2 cm; umbel (6–)12–18 (–24)-flowered.
var. burdickii
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 234. FNA vol. 26, p. 259.
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. stellatum, A. textile, A. tolmiei, A. tribracteatum, 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. 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
A. tricoccum var. burdickii, A. tricoccum var. tricoccum
Name authority Solander: in W. Aiton, Hort. Kew 1: 428. (1789) S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 487, plate 38, figs. 8, 9. (1871)
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