Allium unifolium |
Allium tribracteatum |
|
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American garlic, one-leaf onion |
three-bract 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. |
generally 2–5+, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.8 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish, membranous, prominently cellular-reticulate, cells irregularly arranged, ± transversely elongate, curved, without fibers; inner coats white, cells obscure, ± transversely elongate, irregularly arranged, curved. |
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, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, flat or broadly channeled, ± falcate, 12–20 cm × 1–3.5 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, 2–7 cm × 0.5–1.5 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, 10–30-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, (2–)3(–4), 4–5-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex abruptly acuminate to apiculate. |
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. |
campanulate, 6.5–8 mm; tepals erect, white to pink with dark pink or purplish midvein, lanceolate to ± elliptic, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acute; stamens included; anthers purple; pollen gray; ovary crested; processes 3, acute, ± lateral, margins entire; style linear, shorter than stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 6–9 mm. |
Seed | coat dull; cells minutely roughened. |
coat dull; cells ± smooth. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14. |
Allium unifolium |
Allium tribracteatum |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jun. | Flowering Mar–May. |
Habitat | Moist, clay soils, including serpentine, usually along streams | Rocky, volcanic soils |
Elevation | 0–1100 m (0–3600 ft) | 1300–3000 m (4300–9800 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; OR
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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.) |
Of conservation concern. Allium tribracteatum is known only from the Sierra Nevada in Tuolumne County. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 258. | FNA vol. 26, p. 269. |
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) | Torrey: Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 148. (1857) |
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