Allium lemmonii

Lemmon's onion
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Allium
Species: A. lemmonii
Binomial name
Allium lemmonii
S.Wats.
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Allium anceps var. lemmonii (S.Watson) Jeps.
  • Allium incisum A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr.
  • Allium scissum A.Nelson & J.F.Macbr.

Allium lemmonii is a species of wild onion known by the common name Lemmon's onion, named for botanist John Gill Lemmon (1831–1908).[3] It is native to the western United States, at elevations of 1200–1900 m in the Great Basin of Utah, Nevada, northern and eastern California, eastern Oregon, southwestern Idaho.[4][5][6]

Lemmon's onion grows from a bulb one and a half to two centimeters wide and has a short, flattened stem up to 20 cm tall, which is thin along the edges. Atop the stem is an inflorescence of 10 to 40 bell-shaped flowers, which may be white to pink. The stamens may be purple or yellow; pollen is yellow. The ovary has a distinctive ridged mound shape in which all of the ovary parts appear melded together. This is a common plant in its native range. It favors dry clay soils.[4][7][8][9]

References

  1. Tropicos
  2. The Plant List
  3. Watson, Sereno. 1879. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 14: 234.
  4. 1 2 USDA Plants Profile
  5. Flora of North America v 26 p 270, Allium lemmonii
  6. BONAP (Biota of North America Program) floristic synthesis, Allium lemmonii
  7. Jepson Manual Treatment
  8. Photo gallery
  9. Cronquist, A.J., A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren & Reveal. 1977. Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. 6: 1–584. In A.J. Cronquist, A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, J. L. Reveal & P. K. Holmgren (eds.) Intermountain Flora. Hafner Pub. Co., New York.


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