Allium unifolium |
Allium nevadense |
|
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American garlic, one-leaf onion |
Nevada 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. |
1–3, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, with 0–2 stalked, basal bulbels, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, membranous, usually prominently cellular-reticulate, cells ± transversely elongate, intricately contorted, without fibers; inner coats white or pinkish, cells elongate, intricately contorted. |
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. |
persistent, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, terete, 10–20 cm × 1–3 mm. |
Scape | persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–80 cm × 2–7 mm. |
persistent, solitary, erect, ± solid, terete, 5–15 cm × 1–2.5 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, 5–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 3–7-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± 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. |
stellate, 7–12 mm; tepals spreading, white or pinkish white with dark pink midveins, lanceolate to ovate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate; stamens included; anthers purple; pollen yellow; ovary crested; processes 6, prominent, ± triangular, margins entire to notched or shallowly toothed; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 8–16 mm. |
Seed | coat dull; cells minutely roughened. |
coat dull; cells minutely roughened. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14, 28. |
Allium unifolium |
Allium nevadense |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jun. | Flowering Apr–Jun. |
Habitat | Moist, clay soils, including serpentine, usually along streams | Sandy, rocky, or occasionally clay soils on desert plains and hillsides |
Elevation | 0–1100 m (0–3600 ft) | 1400–1700 m (4600–5600 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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AZ; CA; CO; ID; NV; OR; UT
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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. 248. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Allium | Liliaceae > Allium |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | A. grandisceptrum, A. unifolium var. lacteum | A. nevadense var. macropetalum |
Name authority | Kellogg: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 2: 112, fig. 35. (1863) | S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 351, plate 38, figs. 1–3. (1871) |
Web links |