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Taxon  Report  
Allium membranaceum  Ownbey ex Traub
Papery onion
Allium membranaceum is a perennial herb (bulb) that is native to California, and endemic (limited) to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
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Bloom Period
Genus: Allium
Family: Alliaceae  
(Liliaceae)
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Ultramafic affinity: 1.3 - weak indicator / indifferent

Habitat: slopes

Communities: Yellow Pine Forest

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Information about  Allium membranaceum from other sources
Nursery availability from CNPLX
Commercial availability unknown.
Jepson eFlora

USDA PLANTS Profile (ALME)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

ID Tips on PlantID.net

Pacific Bulb Society: Description and photos of this plant.

[Wikipedia] Range, Description: Allium membranaceum[1] is an uncommon species of wild onion known by the common name papery onion. It is endemic to California, where it grows in wooded areas in the southernmost Cascade Range, the northern Coast Ranges, and the Sierra Nevada foothills from Tulare County to Humboldt County. It is found on wooded slopes at elevations of 200?1400 m. Allium membranaceum grows from an egg-shaped bulb up to 1.7 cm long which is sometimes associated with a cluster of smaller bulbs. The stem reaches a maximum height near 40 centimeters and there are two or three long, flat leaves about the same length. The inflorescence contains up to 35 flowers with white or pale pink tepals which become papery as they age. Anthers and pollen are yellow (link added by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 12/03/2024).