Allium tuolumnense

Allium tuolumnense is a species of wild onion native to the Sierra Nevada of California. It is known by the common name Tuolumne onion.

Description

Allium tuolumnense is a bulb-forming perennial herb producing an erect stem up to about 30 centimeters tall. The bulb is up to 2 centimeters long and is coated in brown or pinkish fibers. There is a single cylindrical leaf up to 40 centimeters long which is longer than the stem. The inflorescence contains up to 30 flowers, each just over a centimeter wide. The flowers are pink to magenta with darker midveins and yellow anthers.

Distribution and habitat

Allium tuolumnense is endemic to California, where it is known only from the Sierra Nevada in Tuolumne County. It grows in the high mountain meadows, in sandy and rocky soils.

Conservation status

Allium tuolumnense is not currently listed as threatened or endangered. However, its habitat is threatened by human activities such as development and recreation, as well as by invasive species.

References

• Flora of North America, vol 26 page 244, 246.
• The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California, 1993, page 253.

External links

• Calflora Database: Allium tuolumnense (Tuolumne onion)
• Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Allium tuolumnense
• USDA Plants Profile for Allium tuolumnense (Tuolumne onion)