| This list of valid North American Allium species is currently under construction, with names added to the list weekly as research data is entered. Anticipated completion is May 2001. An attempt is made to list all valid North American Allium species, and to offer suggestions regarding taxonomic standing when there are conflicting opinions. For each species listed, the following is included: author citation, species publication date, synonyms (with their own author citations), height and flower color, general distribution, habitat, major reference citation(s), links to photos (if any), and general notes. This list should be used in conjunction with other related lists, including: bibliography, bibliography discussion, synonyms list (alphabetical), and a list of dubious names and misnomers. |
| How many North American allium
species are there? I put the total at about 130
species, although an exact number will probably never be known until a full taxonomic
survey of the North American taxa is done. In some cases I debate the sensibility of
elevating subspecific taxa to species level. Relative to the Texas and southwestern
alliums, I have factored in work done by lifelong Texas allium and bulb expert Dr.
Thaddeus Howard, who has contributed significantly to the study and understanding of this
group of alliums; a group superficially covered thus somewhat misunderstood by Marion
Ownbey. Total number of species: ### Total number of intraspecific taxa: ### Total number of taxa: #### |
UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
Species |
Author |
Pub. Date |
Synonyms
|
Height
|
Flower Color |
Reference / Comments / Links |
| acuminatum | Hooker | 1839 | acuminatum var. cuspidatum Fern. cuspidatum Rydb. |
10 - 30 cm | bright pink, rose, red-purple, rarely white | Dist: Common species widespread throughout w.
North America. Hab: Dry hills and plains, stony, sometimes alluvial soil, below 2000 m. Ref: Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Photo: Portrait (2 photos) Notes: Flowers May - July, can color whole hillsides when in peak bloom. |
| amplectens | Torr. | 1857 | attenuifolium Kell. attenuifolium var. monospermum Jeps. occidentale Gray monospermum Jepson |
15 - 50 cm | white or light pink | Dist: British Columbia, Washington, Oregon,
California Hab: Dry slopes and fields, mostly below 2000 m. Ref: A California Flora, Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Photo: Portrait (2 photos) Notes: Flowers March - June. |
| atrorubens | Watson | 1871 | 6 - 15 cm | red-purple, rarely white | Dist: California, Nevada. Hab: Dry hillsides and among sagebrush scrub, clay soils, in desert hills and mountains, 1665 - 2335 m. Ref: A California Flora Notes: Flowers May - June. |
|
| atrorubens var. cristatum |
(Wats.) McNeal |
1992 | atrorubens ssp. inyonis (Jones)Traub atrorubens var. inyonis (Jones) Ownbey & Aase cristatum Watson decipiens Jones, not Fischer inyonis Jones nevadense var. cristatum Watson |
6 - 15 cm | pale white or pink with dark pink midveins | Dist: California, Nevada. Hab: Among sagebrush scrub, 1335 - 2335 m. Ref: A California Flora, Madrono 39(2):86. 1972. Photo: Portrait Notes: Flowers May - June. From Mono and Inyo counties, California, and adjacent Nevada, the synonyms frequently misspelled "inyoensis". |
| bisceptrum | Watson | 1871 | bisceptrum var. utahense Jones |
10 - 40 cm | white, pale pink, or lilac | Dist: Oregon, Idaho, California, Utah,
Nevada. Hab: Meadows and aspens groves, moist banks, less frequently on open slopes, 2165 - 3165m. Ref: A California Flora, Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Photo: Portrait Notes: Flowers May - July. |
| bisceptrum var. palmeri |
(Wats.) Cronq. |
1977 | palmeri Watson | 10 - 20
cm rarely 30 cm |
pink to purple | Dist: Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona Hab: Open slopes and pine forests, mountains from 2165 - 2500 m. Ref: Intermountain Flora Notes: Flowers May - June. |
| campanulatum | Watson | 1879 | austinae Jones acuminatum var. bidwelliae Jepson bidwelliae Watson bullardii Davidson campanulatum var. bidwelliae Jepson tenellum Davids. in part |
5 - 15 cm |
pale rose, pink, reddish, purplish, rarely white | Dist: Oregon, California, Nevada Hab: Open or shaded places in the mountains, dry slopes in woods, from 675 - 2835 m. Ref: A California Flora Photo: Portrait Notes: Flowers May - June. |
| cratericola | Eastw. | 1934 | parvum var. brucae Jones parvum var. jacintense Munz |
2 - 7 cm, rarely up to 12 cm | pink to purplish, light to dark purple | Dist: California Hab: Volcanic and serpentine soils, mostly below 835 m, but found 350 - 2300 m., bare serpentine talus slopes. Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, Taxonomy of the Allium tribracteatum (Alliaceae) complex. Photo: Portrait (2 photos) Portrait (a different form) Notes: Blooms March - May in the wild. Beautiful dwarf species. |
| crispum | Greene | 1888 | peninsulare var. crispum Jepson |
10 - 30 cm | bright pink, red-purple, to orchid | Dist: California Hab: Heavy soil on rolling hills, below 835 m. Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California Photo: Portrait (3 photos) Notes: Blooms March - May in the wild. Beautiful species. |
| dichlamydeum | Greene | 1879 | serratum var. dichlamydeum Jones |
10 - 30
cm |
deep rose purple | Dist: California Hab: Dry heavy soil, rocky places, coastal Mtn ranges, bluffs, woodlands Ref: A California Flora Photo: Portrait (2 photos) Notes: Flowers May - July. |
| falcifolium | Hooker & Arnold |
1841 | falcifolium var. demissum Jepson breweri Watson falcifolium var. breweri Jones falcifolium var. brevius Henderson |
3 - 12 cm | deep rose, purple, to maroon red, sometimes white or pale pink. | Dist: Oregon, California Hab: Heavy or rocky soil, on serpentine outcrops, 165 - 2335 m Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. Photos: Portrait + Galleries Web photo: white form, good image Notes: Blooms March - July in the wild. Beautiful dwarf species. |
| fimbriatum | Watson | 1879 | fimbriatum var. aboriginum Jepson |
5 - 20 cm | rose to purple, darker midveins | Dist: California Hab: Dry slopes & flats, often in heavy soil, gravelly volcanic or serpentine clays, desert slopes, 665 - 2665 m Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. Notes: Blooms March - May |
| fimbriatum var. mohavense |
(Tide.) Jepson |
1921 | mohavense Tidestrom | 10 - 25 cm | white
to pale pink, lavender, with pink midveins |
Dist: California Hab: Creosote bush scrub, Mohave Desert, 835 - 1335 m Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. Notes: Blooms April - May |
| fimbriatum var. purdyi |
(Eastw.) Ownbey & Aase |
1992 | purdyi Eastwood | 10 - 30 cm | white
to pale lavender, darker midveins, or rose purple |
Dist: California Hab: Gravelly serpentine clay, below 335 m Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, Aliso 13(3):423, A revision of the Allium fimbriatum (Alliaceae) complex Photo: Portrait Notes: Blooms May |
| lacunosum | Watson | 1879 | 10 - 25 cm | white to pale pink, with dark midveins | Dist: California Hab: Coastal Mtn ranges, serpentine soils on ridges and peaks to 1000 m Ref: A California Flora, Taxonomy of the Allium lacunosum complex. Photo: Portrait Notes: Blooms April - June |
|
| monticola | Davids. | 1921 | peirsonii Jepson parishii var. keckii Munz |
5 - 15 cm | pale to deep pink or purple, with dark spreading tips | Dist: California Hab: Loose rock or talus slopes, summits, 1335 - 3335 m. Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. Photo: Portrait Notes: Blooms May - July in the wild. Beautiful & unusual dwarf species. |
| munzii | (Ownb. & Aase) McNeal |
1992 | fimbriatum var. munzii Ownbey & Aase |
10 - 25 cm | white with pink midveins, aging to red | Dist: California Hab: Grassy openings in coastal sage scrub, below 835 m Ref: The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, Aliso 13(3):415, A revision of the Allium fimbriatum (Alliaceae) complex. Photo: Portrait Notes: Blooms April - May |
| nevadense | Watson | 1871 | nevadense var. macropetalum Peck |
3 - 10 cm | white or pinkish, with pink midveins | Dist: Idaho, Oregon, California, Nevada,
Utah, Colorado Hab: Sandy, gravelly, or occasionally clay soils, in deserts, 800 - 2335 m Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. Photo: Portrait Notes: Blooms April - June |
| obtusum | Lemm. |
1890 | ambiguum Jones, not Sibth. & Small. concinnum K. Bdg. ex. Jones |
2 - 6.5 cm | white
to greenish white, with dark purplish brown midveins |
Dist: California Hab: Sandy or gravelly slopes and benches, subalpine fell-fields, granitic sands, 1500 - 4000 m Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, Taxonomy of the Allium tribracteatum (Alliaceae) complex. Photo: Portrait (3 photos) Notes: Blooms May - July |
| obtusum var. conspicuum |
Mortola & McNeal |
1973 | 3 - 11 cm rarely to 17.5 cm |
purplish pink with dark purple midveins (rarely white) |
Dist: California Hab: Granitic sands, 800 - 3000 m Ref: Taxonomy of the Allium tribracteatum (Alliaceae) complex. Notes: Blooms May - July, 1-2 weeks later than var. obtusum. |
|
| platycaule | Watson | 1879 | 4 - 12 cm | deep rose | Dist: Oregon, California, w. Nevada Hab: Gravelly slopes and knolls, dry slopes at moderate to high altitude, 1335 - 3000 m. Ref: A California Flora, The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. Photo: Portrait + Galleries Photo: Gallery of cultivated plants Notes: Blooms May - August in the wild. Beautiful dwarf species. |
|
| siskiyouense | Ownbey | 1972 | watsoni (of other authors, not Howell) | 3 - 7 cm | rose with darker midveins or white to pale rose or pink, aging rose-red to red-violet | Dist: California, Oregon Hab: Rocky slopes, talus slopes, moderate elevations, 2000 m. Ref: A California Flora Photo: Portrait (2 photos) Notes: Blooms June - July in the wild. Attractive dwarf species. |
| x | x | 19xx | x | cm | x | Dist: Hab: Ref: Photo: Notes: |
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This page was last updated on 06/06/01