Allium sharsmithiae
An Allium endemic to the Mount Hamilton Range in California, this rare bulbiferous perennial features a 5–50-flowered umbel with deep reddish-purple tepals, inhabits serpentine soils on talus slopes at 400–1,200 m and flowers in April–May, with global rank G2, California rarity 1B.3, and BLM status.
Common Names
Sharsmith's Onion, Helen Sharsmith's Onion, Mount Hamilton Onion
Summary
Sharsmith's onion is a perennial bulbous herb endemic to California, confined to serpentine soils in the Mount Hamilton Range where it grows in Chaparral and Cismontane woodland at 400–1,200 m in rocky microhabitats. Bulbs are solitary and 1–2 cm in diameter; leaves are basal and wither from the tip by anthesis; the flowering stalk is erect to about 20 cm tall and supports a hemispheric umbel of 5–50 flowers; flowers are urn-shaped with deep reddish-purple tepals and yellow anthers.
Conservation status is California Rare Plant Rank 1B.3, global rank G2, state rank S2, known from about 9 occurrences; habitat and distribution are limited, with threats including mining, road and trail construction and maintenance, feral pigs, and over-collecting, and it occurs on serpentine soils in the Mount Hamilton Range.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
6-8 inches
Soil Type
Serpentine soils
Bloom Color
Deep reddish-purple
Bloom Time
Spring
Leaf Lifecycle
Semi-deciduous
Seasons of Interest
Spring (Apr–May)
Propagation Methods
Bulb propagation (bulbs/offsets)
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Ownbey & Aase ex Traub) McNeal
- Publication
- Aliso 13: 417 (1992)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Genus
- Allium