Species Detail Forb

Flowers Boulder, Utah		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Allium macropetalum - largeflower onion Other Common Names: desert onion, Arizona onion Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub Family: Liliaceae
Flowers Boulder, Utah


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Plant - summer Boulder, Utah Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)

Forb Plant Description

Origin: Native Life Cycle: Perennial Similar Species: Allium reticulatum var. deserticola
General Desc: Grass-like leaves give rise to waxy, star-shaped white-pink flowers in rounded clusters at the top of a separate stem. The plant has an onion smell.
Identification notes: Leaves usually 2 per stem. Outer bulb scales persisting as a network of coarse, intertwining fibers. Plants without basal bulbels. Flowers of 6 white-pink tepals (sepals and petals) with deeper pink or reddish mid-veins. Flower bracts 3 to 5 veined.
Height: To 8 inches

Habitat

Habitat Description: Desert flats and rocky foothills.
Plant Communities: Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland
Elevation: 1000 - 7000 feet

Flower Characteristics

Color: White-pink Shape: Regular in round clusters Tubular: N Flowering Period: Mar - Jun
Description: Waxy, star-like flowers have 6 tepals, each with a reddish midvein. Erect rounded flower clusters of 10 to 20 flowers.

Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Green Leaf Type: Simple Leaf Shape: Narrow Leaf Margin: Smooth Leaf Attachment: Basal Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: No Spines: N
Leaf Description: Leaves are grass-like to 4 inches long, persistent, green at flowering, usually 2 per bulb and longer than the flower stem.

Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Color: Tan
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: The fruit is a tan capsule with two black seeds in each cell.
Seed Notes: The seed coat is black.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer