Allium yosemitense
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''Allium yosemitense'' is a California species of
wild onion Wild onion can refer to * any uncultivated species in the genus ''Allium'', especially: **''Allium bisceptrum'' ** ''Allium canadense'' ** ''Allium tricoccum'' ** ''Allium validum'' ** ''Allium vineale'' * ''Asphodelus tenuifolius'' * ''Cyperus bulb ...
known by the common name Yosemite onion. Most of the known populations are situated within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park.


Description

''Allium yosemitense'' grows from a
bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...
two to three centimeters long, producing a scape up to about in maximum height. It has two long flat leaves that are usually slightly longer than the scape. The umbel contains up to 50 white or pink flowers, each on a
pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...
which may be over long.


Distribution and habitat

''Allium yosemitense'' is endemic to the central
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...
of California. Populations have been recorded in three counties:
El Dorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
, Mariposa and Tuolumne. Most of the sites are inside Yosemite National Park.Calflora database — ''Allium yosemitense''
. accessed 1.30.2013
The habitats in which ''Allium yosemitense'' can be found include: California interior chaparral and foothill woodlands,
Sierra Nevada lower montane forest The Sierra Nevada lower montane forest is a plant community along a strip along the western and eastern edges of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. This zone is also known as a yellow pine forest. Moving southward, the elevation rang ...
(Yellow Pine Forest),
Mediterranean California Lower Montane Black Oak-Conifer Forest The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the eas ...
(Mixed Evergreen Forest). ''Allium yosemitense'' is listed by the State of California as Rare, and included in the California Native Plant Society—CNPS '' Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California''.CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants: ''Allium yosemitense''
. accessed 1.30.2013


See also

*
List of plants of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.) The Sierra Nevada, also known locally as the ''"Sierra"'', is a mountain range running north-to-south along eastern California, and occasionally into western Nevada. The name "Sierra Nevada" is Spanish, translating as "Snowy (Mountain) Range". ...


References

yosemitense Endemic flora of California Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Threatened flora of California Yosemite National Park Onions Plants described in 1934 Taxa named by Alice Eastwood {{Allium-stub