Allium dictuon

Allium dictuon is a species of wild onion known by the common name Blue Mountain onion. It is native to a small section of the Blue Mountains straddling the border between southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon in the United States. It grows in Columbia, Garfield and Walla Walla Counties in Washington, plus Umatilla and Wallowa Counties in Oregon.[1][2]

Blue Mountain onion

Imperiled  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Allium
Species:
A. dictuon
Binomial name
Allium dictuon

Allium dictuon grows from bulbs connected by rhizomes. It produces two or three leaves each up to 28 centimeters in length. The scape is 20 to 40 centimeters tall and bears an umbel of up to 25 flowers. The bell-shaped flowers are bright pink or purplish and each is 1.1 to 1.6 centimeters long. Blooming occurs in June and July.[1][3][4]

Allium dictuon grows in dry, open, rocky habitat.[5] The vegetation in the area is dominated by bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata ssp. spicata).[6]

The total population has been estimated to be between 200 and 500 individuals.[6]

References
  1. Allium dictuon. Flora of North America v 26 p 261.
  2. BONAP (Biota of North America Program) floristic synthesis, Allium dictuon
  3. St. John, Harold. 1937. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 50(2): 3–4, f. 1.
  4. Hitchcock, C. H., A.J. Cronquist, F. M. Ownbey & J. W. Thompson. 1969. Vascular Cryptogams, Gymnosperms, and Monocotyledons. 1: 1–914. In C. L. Hitchcock, Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, Seattle.
  5. Allium dictuon. Washington Burke Museum.
  6. Allium dictuon. The Nature Conservancy.
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