Kingdom Plantae Clade Monocots Family Amaryllidaceae Scientific name Allium munzii Rank Species | Clade Angiosperms Order Asparagales Subfamily Allioideae Higher classification Onions | |
 | ||
Similar Onions, Allium fimbriatum, Allium obtusum, Allium dichlamydeum, Allium yosemitense | ||
Allium munzii is a rare species of wild onion known by the common name Munz's onion.
Contents
Distribution
It is endemic to western Riverside County, California, where it grows in the coastal sage scrub of the local hills and mountains at elevations of 400–900 m. It is known from only about fifteen occurrences and it is threatened by development of its habitat for human uses such as citrus agriculture and urbanization.
It is a federally listed endangered species.
Description
Allium munzii is an onion that grows from a reddish-brown bulb just over a centimeter long. It produces an erect stem up to about 35 centimeters in maximum height and a single leaf which is usually a bit longer. The umbel contains up to 35 flowers each under a centimeter long. They have tepals that are white with a dark green midvein, turning red with age. Pollen and anthers are yellow.