Allium punctum
Compact bulb-forming Allium native to western North America, bulbs 1–2 cm in diameter, stems up to 10 cm tall, two sickle-shaped leaves, and an inflorescence bearing up to 20 white or pink flowers with purple veining.
Common Names
Dotted Onion, Modoc Onion, Punctate Onion
Summary
the dotted onion is a monocot perennial geophyte native to the western United States, with a native range centered on the Modoc Plateau in northeastern California and occurrences in northwestern Nevada and southeastern Oregon; it is uncommon and grows in volcanic flatlands formed by old lava flows. It forms a bulb 1–2 cm wide that is yellow-brown to grayish, a short stem 0–10 cm tall, and two sickle-shaped leaves usually longer; the hemispheric inflorescence carries 6–20 white or pink flowers with purple veining, and flowering occurs May–June.
In cultivation, it prefers sandy, rocky, or clay soils of open slopes and flats at elevations 1300–1600 m with moderate moisture; conservation status includes California Rare Plant Rank 2B.2, Global Rank G3, and State Rank S1, and it is not carried by nurseries.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1.5-4 inches
Soil Type
Sandy, rocky, or clay soils, volcanic soils.
Bloom Color
White, pink, or purple.
Bloom Time
Spring
Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Seasons of Interest
Spring
Propagation Methods
Division
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.F.Hend.
- Publication
- Rhodora 32: 23 (1930)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Genus
- Allium