Allium monticola
Encyclopedia
Allium monticola is an uncommon species of wild onion
known by the common name San Bernardino Mountains onion. It is endemic to southern California
, where it is found only in the Transverse Ranges
near Los Angeles
and the northernmost section of the Peninsular Ranges
. It generally grows in rocky areas. This onion grows from a bulb
one or two centimeters long which often has daughter bulbs attached to it on stalks. The waxy stem reaches a maximum height near 25 centimeters and the single leaf may be a bit longer. The inflorescence
contains up to about 25 flowers, each with tepal
s nearly two centimeters long and white or light pink with darker pink tips.
Allium
Allium is a monocot genus of flowering plants, informally referred to as the onion genus. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic....
known by the common name San Bernardino Mountains onion. It is endemic to southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is found only in the Transverse Ranges
Transverse Ranges
The Transverse Ranges are a group of mountain ranges of southern California, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region that runs along the Pacific coast from Alaska to Mexico in North America. The Transverse Ranges begin at the southern end of the California Coast Ranges and lie between...
near Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and the northernmost section of the Peninsular Ranges
Peninsular Ranges
The Peninsular Ranges are a group of mountain ranges, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, which stretch from southern California in the United States to the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula; they are part of the North American Coast Ranges that run along the Pacific coast from Alaska...
. It generally grows in rocky areas. This onion grows from a bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
one or two centimeters long which often has daughter bulbs attached to it on stalks. The waxy stem reaches a maximum height near 25 centimeters and the single leaf may be a bit longer. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
contains up to about 25 flowers, each with tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s nearly two centimeters long and white or light pink with darker pink tips.