Allium passeyi (Passey's Onion)

Overview

Critically Endangered

Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Passey's Onion

Description

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Genus Allium

Herbs, perennial , scapose , from tunicate bulbs, with onion odor and taste. Bulbs solitary or clustered, dividing at base , or on rhizomes, reforming annually; outer coats generally brown or gray, smooth , fibrous , or with cellular reticulation (generally important in identification) ; inner coats membranous. Leaves generally withering from tip by anthesis , usually persistent , 1-12, basal; blade usually linear , terete , channeled , or flat (carinate in A. sativum, A. praecox, A. tuberosum, A. rotundum, A. neapolitanum, A. triquetrum, A. unifolium, and A. lacunosum), straight or ± falcate (coiled or circinate in A. nevadense and A. atrorubens), broader in A. victorialis and A. tricoccum, not petiolate (except in A. tricoccum and A. victorialis) . Scape usually persistent, terete or flattened. Inflorescences umbellate , flowering centripetally (centrifugally in A. schoenoprasum), sometimes replaced totally or partially by bulbils, subtended by spathe bracts; bracts conspicuous , ± fused, usually 3+-veined, equaling pedicel except in some introduced species , membranous. Flowers erect (pendent in A. triquetrum) ; tepals 6, in 2 similar whorls, ± distinct , petallike, usually becoming becoming dry and persisting; stamens 6, epipetalous ; filaments in all but 1 native species broad at base, fused into ring (some introduced species and A. victorialis appendaged), linear, generally glabrous (A. rotundum and A. hoffmanii papillose to ciliate proximally) ; anthers and pollen variously colored ; ovary superior, 3-lobed, sometimes crested with processes, 3-locular, usually 2 ovules per locule (6-8 in A. nigrum), crest processes 3 or 6, smooth except in A. haematochiton, A. sharsmithiae, and A. lacunosum; style 1; stigma capitate to ± 3-lobed; pedicel erect or spreading (lax in A. triquetrum) . Fruits capsular , dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds black, obovoid , finely cellular-reticulate, cells smooth or minutely roughened, with 1-8 papillae, without caruncle except in A. triquetrum. x = 7, 8, 9.

Species 550-700: mostly Northern Hemisphere.

As with many other genera in the Liliaceae sensu lato, Allium has been segregated into a separate family , Alliaceae , by most recent authors (R. Dahlgren et al. 1985; K . Rahn 1998; A. L. Takhtajan 1997; R. F. Thorne 1992) .Old World species of Allium are generally placed in subgenera and sections . Attempts to treat New World species similarly have gained less acceptance. H. P. Traub (1972) recognized subg. Amerallium, encompassing all of the x = 7 North American members of the genus.

P. Hanelt (1992) placed the Old World x = 7 species also in that subgenus , which includes all but three of the North American species (A. schoenoprasum, A. tricoccum, and A. victorialis), which have x = 8. These latter species have been placed in subg. Rhizirideum (P. Hanelt 1992) . Resolution of the problematic subgeneric and sectional relationships among Old and New World species will require much more extensive molecular and phylogenetic analysis of the genus. The characters used in the construction of the following key are the best that have been discovered for this purpose. Many of these are subject to sometimes rather wide variation . It is anticipated, therefore, that it can be used successfully only with considerable understanding of the natural units involved, their distribution, and comparison with descriptions and accurately named specimens. The Allium bulb consists of a series of leaf bases, some with blades, others without, surrounding an apical meristem. The leaf bases are replaced annually as the meristem forms a new (renewal) bulb. Often the meristem will branch , resulting in two or more bulbs being formed from a single parent bulb (increase bulbs) . In addition several types of rhizomes are formed in Allium. In some cases (e.g. , A. validum) bulbs form atop a thick, iris-like rhizome that produces new bulbs in succeeding years. In other cases (e.g., A. bolanderi, A. campanulatum, and A. unifolium) each bulb produces one or more rhizomes that in turn produce a terminal renewal or increase bulb. There is variation even in this type of rhizome. In some species (e.g., A. bolanderi and A. unifolium) the bulb producing the rhizomes disappears during the development of the rhizomes and new bulbs except for the roots , which remain active until the new bulbs mature and become dormant . In others (e.g., A. campanulatum) the bulb produces a number of very short rhizomes around the roots, each of which develops a very small terminal bulbel. At the same time, the parent bulb remains intact and produces a renewal bulb, or may divide to produce two or more large increase bulbs. As a result, specimens with this type of rhizome will have one or more large bulbs with a number of much smaller bulbels among the roots. The underground parts of Allium are often critical for successful identification, and every effort should always be made to collect them. The ��dirty�� brown or gray coats surrounding the bulbs are the only source for the cellular-reticulation patterns referred to in the key. These should be carefully collected and preserved as part of any specimen. Several Old World species (Allium ampeloprasum Linnaeus, A. cepa Linnaeus, A. oleraceum Linnaeus, A. sativum Linnaeus, A. nigrum Linnaeus), grown as foodstuffs or ornamentals , may be encountered and are certainly represented in North American herbaria. For this reason, these species have been included in the key. Some do not reproduce by seeds and probably should not be considered as truly naturalized in our flora , although they may persist for long periods at or near places where they have been planted. Additionally, over 52 species contained in this treatment are considered choice garden plants and are readily available through catalogues and garden centers. Locally, these species and possibly others grown as garden plants may escape and become established . It is inevitable, therefore, that numerous specimens of these escapees will be represented in North American herbaria and may muddy the boundaries of what is regarded to be the natural distribution. We have attempted in all cases to map what we consider to be the natural ranges of these species, based on the specimens examined over the years. Material falling outside these ranges may include these escapees and should be suspect.[1]

Physical Description

Species Allium passeyi

Bulbs 2-3+, not rhizomatous , ovoid , 1-2 × 1.2-2 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown, reticulate , fibrous ; inner coats whitish to light brown, cells vertically elongate and regular or obscure . Leaves persistent , green at anthesis , 2-3, sheathing ; blade solid, flat, ± falcate , 10-20 cm × 3-6 mm, margins entire. Scape persistent, solitary, erect , terete or ± winged-angled, mostly 10-20 cm × 1-2.5 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact , 8-27-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2-4, mostly 1-veined, ovate , ± equal, apex acuminate to caudate . Flowers campanulate , 7-9 mm; tepals erect, light pink, narrowly lanceolate to lance-ovate, becoming callous-keeled, persistent and permanently investing capsule, margins entire, apex acuminate, inner shorter and narrower than outer, outer strongly keeled and gibbous at base ; stamens included ; anthers yellow; pollen yellow; ovary obscurely crested ; processes 6, central, ± erect, rounded , minute, to 1 mm, margins entire; style linear , equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 10-18 mm. Seed coat shining; cells smooth , each with minute, central papilla. [source]

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Bloom Period: June.

Habitat

Shallow, stony, lithosolic soil over dolomitic limestone, hilltops; of conservation concern; 1400--1600 m. Allium passeyi is known only from Box Elder County [2].

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Taxonomy

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Kingdom: Plantae () - Plants
- Phylum: Magnoliophyta () - Flowering Plants
  - Class: Liliopsida ()
    - Order: Asparagales ()
      - Family: Noctuoidea ()
        Genus: Allium () - Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 294. 1753; Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 143. 1754. - Onion [Latin, classical name for garlic]
        Specific epithet: passeyi - N.H.Holmgren & A.H.Holmgren
        Botanical name: - Allium passeyi N.H.Holmgren & A.H.Holmgren

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Allium

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2892 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

"Allium passeyi". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 227, 242. Published by Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.
Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2005. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [http://sn2000.taxonomy.nl/Taxonomicon/]. Access date: Nov 23, 2005
Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed February 28, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 3 providers.
The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
USDA, NRCS. 2005. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

The New York Botanical Garden: Vascular Plant Type Specimens
USDA PLANTS: USDA PLANTS Database
Utah State University: USU-UTC Specimen Database

Identifiers

Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 3875310
Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Kew-296243
Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:528590-1
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 42691
International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 528590-1
Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PMLIL021Q0
U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: ALPA5
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 20504

Footnotes

Dale W. McNeal Jr. & T. D. Jacobsen "Allium". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 53, 55, 224, 225, 259, 334, 336. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
"Allium passeyi". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 227, 242. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

Allium passeyi

Overview

Common Names

Description

Genus Allium

Physical Description

Species Allium passeyi

Habitat

Biology

Reproduction

Taxonomy

Notes

Similar Species

Members of the genus Allium

More Info

Further Reading

Notes

Contributors

Data Sources

Identifiers

Footnotes