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ramp, small white leek, wild leek

Columbia onion, Columbian 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.

1–5+, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–1.5 × 0.8–1.4 cm;

outer bulb coats brownish or grayish, enclosing 1 or more bulbs, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats white to pink, 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.

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

blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, ± falcate, 10–35 cm × (2–)5–8 mm, margins entire.

Scape

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

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, enlarged proximal to inflorescence, (10–)20–30(–40) cm × 1.5–4 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, compact, 25–50-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 3, 5–7-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute.

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.

± stellate, (6–)7–8(–10) mm;

tepals spreading, light pink to purple with prominent green midribs, narrowly lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acuminate;

stamens equaling or longer than tepals;

anthers blue-gray;

pollen light blue to gray;

ovary crested;

processes 6, 2 per lobe, low, rounded, margins entire;

style exserted, linear;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–20 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

2n

= 14.

Allium tricoccum

Allium columbianum

Phenology Flowering May–Jul.
Habitat Winter-wet, shallow soils on rock outcrops, or wet meadows
Elevation 300–1100 m (1000–3600 ft)
Distribution
from USDA
e North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
ID; MT; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(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.
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. bigelovii, A. bisceptrum, A. bolanderi, A. brandegeei, A. brevistylum, A. burlewii, A. campanulatum, A. canadense, A. cepa, A. cernuum, 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
Synonyms A. douglasii var. columbianum
Name authority Solander: in W. Aiton, Hort. Kew 1: 428. (1789) (Ownbey & Mingrone) P. M. Peterson: Syst. Bot. 13: 211. (1988)
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