Allium unifolium |
Allium hoffmanii |
|
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American garlic, one-leaf onion |
beegum onion |
|
Bulbs | solitary, replaced annually by new bulbs borne terminally on secondary rhizome; rhizomes 1–3, conspicuous, to 5 cm, smooth; parent bulbs disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and bulb coat, ovoid to oblique-ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm; outer coats not enclosing bulbs, pale brown, delicately cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells ± rectangular, without fibers; inner coats white, cells obscure, ± transversely elongate, contorted. |
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 or withering from tip at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flattened, sometimes carinate abaxially, ± falcate, 18–50 cm × 4–10 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, solid, terete, 20–80 cm × 2–7 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, erect, loose, 15–35-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 6–8-veined, lance-ovate to broadly ovate, ± 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, 11–15 mm; tepals spreading, bright pink or rarely white, obovate to ovate, unequal, becoming papery and connivent over capsule, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse or emarginate, inner shorter and narrower than outer; stamens included; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow or gray; ovary crestless, 3-grooved, with thickened ridge on either side of groove; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed; pedicel 15–40 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 unifolium |
Allium hoffmanii |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jun. | Flowering Jun–Jul. |
Habitat | Moist, clay soils, including serpentine, usually along streams | Serpentine clay |
Elevation | 0–1100 m (0–3600 ft) | 1100–1800 m (3600–5900 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
|
CA |
Discussion | The long, relatively thick rhizomes that develop annually from the bulbs are very characteristic of Allium unifolium and almost unique in North America. Only A. glandulosum Link & Otto and A. rhizomatum Wooton & Standley have similar rhizomes, but these species are not closely related to A. unifolium. Allium unifolium is known only from the Coast Ranges. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
|
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 258. | FNA vol. 26, p. 273. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. grandisceptrum, A. unifolium var. lacteum | |
Name authority | Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2: 112, fig. 35. (1863) | Ownbey ex Traub: Pl. Life 28: 63. (1972) |
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