Slim-leaf Onion
Allium amplectens Torr.
overview
Perennial herb from an egg-shaped to nearly globe-shaped, scaly bulb, the outer scales brownish to grey, with a wavy, fibrous network, the inner scales red or white; 10-40 cm tall.
2 to 4 basal leaves, withering early, linear, channeled to cylindric, shorter than the flowering stem, very slender, smooth, margins entire; stem leaves lacking.
Inflorescence a compact, often head-like, terminal umbel of several to many, stalked flowers above 2 to 3 membranous, egg-shaped bracts, the stalks 0.5-1.5 cm long; flowers white to pink, saucer shaped, of 6 distinct tepals, the tepals 5-9 mm long, lanceolate with pointed tips, spreading, in fruit becoming papery and folding over the ovaries; stamens 6, nearly as long as the tepals; pistil 1, 3-chambered.
Seed capsules are more or less egg-shaped, 3-lobed, with 6 low, rounded crests; seeds 6 or fewer, black.
Most Allium amplectens on Vancouver Island are triploids, which produce seeds by apomixes, but near the coast, a tetraploid variety occurs infrequently, with a darker pink colouration (Wheeler).
factsheet year
2024
other names
narrowleaf onion or clasping onion
family
Liliaceae
ecological setting
Vernally moist rocky bluffs and meadows in the lowland zone (Douglas et al, 2001). Also found on coastal bluffs, rock faces and sandy spits.
soil texture
Vernally moist rocky bluffs and meadows in the lowland zone (Douglas et al, 2001). Also found on coastal bluffs, rock faces and sandy spits.
soil reaction salinity
Tolerates salt water influence on coastal bluffs, rock faces and sandy spits.
moisture regime
Very xeric.
shade tolerance
Prefers full sun.
bec zone subzone status
Prefers full sun.
landscaping
Showy blooms, especially the tetraploid variety, suitable for container planting, probably for the rock garden .
first nations
Allium spp bulbs were eaten by several indigenous groups. They were eaten both raw and steamed in pits lined with pine boughs, covered with lichens and alder boughs (Turner, 1995).
flowering time
Mid-June
fruit ripening time
Allium spp bulbs were eaten by several indigenous groups. They were eaten both raw and steamed in pits lined with pine boughs, covered with lichens and alder boughs (Turner, 1995).
seed collection time
Late June-July.
no seeds per kg
450-650/gram
collection and abstraction
Late June-July.
seed storage
Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity (Hunt et al.)
fruit seed dormancy treatment
Cold, moist stratified in vermiculite at approximately 44F (Hunt et al.).