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three-corner leek, three-cornered leek, white flower onion

Spanish needle onion

Bulbs

5–20+, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, rhizomes absent, increase bulbs absent or ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, ovoid, 1–2 × 1–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing renewal bulbs, ± translucent, yellow-brown, obscurely cellular-reticulate, thin, membranous, meshes delicate, cells vertically elongate, contorted, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells obscure, quadrate, or not visible.

2–10+, forming threadlike rhizomes, rhizomes 3–10 cm, terminated by bulbels and/or 1–2 basal bulbels that in turn may produce threadlike rhizomes, ± globose, 1–1.5 × 1–1.5 cm;

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

inner coats light yellow, turning reddish on drying, cells obscure, ± quadrate.

Leaves

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, not falcate, ± carinate, 15–50 cm × 3–15 mm, margins entire.

persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, terete, 20–40 cm × 2–4 mm.

Scape

persistent, clustered, 1–4, erect, solid, sharply 3-angled, 10–40 cm × 1–10 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 10–20+ cm × 1–5 mm.

Umbel

persistent, lax, loose, 3–15-flowered, ± 1-sided, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 1–2, 3-veined, narrowly lanceolate, ± equal, apex acute.

persistent, erect, compact, 12–30-flowered, globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, usually 3, 5–7-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex apiculate.

Flowers

becoming pendent, campanulate, 10–18 mm;

tepals erect to spreading, white with prominent green midrib, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming membranous in fruit, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 15–25 mm.

campanulate, 12–14 mm;

tepals spreading, unequal;

outer tepals maroon, oblanceolate, margins irregularly shallow-toothed, apex acute to mucronate, reflexed-curled;

inner tepals maroon distally, white proximally, ovate, withering in fruit, curled back at tip, margins entire, apex acute, reflexed;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, narrowly triangular, margins entire, apex emarginate;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, 3-lobed, lobes slender, recurved;

pedicel 10–16 mm.

Seed(s)

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

coat shining;

cells minutely roughened.

2n

= 18.

= 14.

Allium triquetrum

Allium shevockii

Phenology Flowering Mar–Apr. Flowering Jun–Jul.
Habitat Disturbed sites Soil pockets on schist outcrops
Elevation 0–100 m (0–300 ft) 2200–2400 m (7200–7900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; sw Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium triquetrum is a garden escape, introduced from southwestern Europe, and is potentially a noxious weed.

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

Of conservation concern.

Allium shevockii is known only from the upper slopes of Spanish Needle Peak in the southern Sierra Nevada and from Horse Canyon, Tehachapi Mountains.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 257. FNA vol. 26, p. 252.
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. tricoccum, 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. 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. 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 Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 300. (1753) McNeal: Madroño 34: 150, fig. 1. (1987)
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