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Allium jepsonii

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jepson's onion

Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Allium
Species:
A. jepsonii
Binomial name
Allium jepsonii
(Ownbey & Aase) S. Denison & McNeal
Synonyms

Allium sanbornii var. jepsonii Ownbey & Aase ex Traub

Allium jepsonii is a species of wild onion known by the common name Jepson's onion, honoring renowned California botanist Willis Linn Jepson.[2][3][4][5]

Distribution and habitat

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Allium jepsonii is endemic to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, in Tuolumne, Placer, El Dorado, and Butte Counties. It is found at elevations of 300–600 metres (980–1,970 ft) and grows on clay soils.[6]

Description

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Allium jepsonii, the Jepson's onion, grows to a height between about 20 and 40 centimeters from one or two oval-shaped bulbs. There is a single cylindrical leaf which is about the same length as the stem.

The inflorescence holds 20 to 60 small flowers, each under a centimeter long with pink-veined white tepals with curling tips.[4][6][7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
  2. ^ Denison, S. S. & McNeal, Dale W. 1989. Madroño 36(2): 127.
  3. ^ Traub, Hamilton Paul. 1972. Plant Life 28: 63.
  4. ^ a b Munz, P. A. & D. D. Keck. 1959. California Flora 1–1681. University of California Press, Berkeley.
  5. ^ USDA Plants Profile
  6. ^ a b Flora of North America
  7. ^ Allium jepsonii — U.C. Photo gallery
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