Species: Allium geyeri S. Wats.

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Allium geyeri S. Wats.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Liliaceae

Genus:

Allium

Species Synonyms:

none

Common Names:

Geyer onion

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern British Columbia, southern Alberta – southern Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Battleford – Regina

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

meadows above stream shores

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Endangered

Nature Conservancy Status:

G4G5 N1 S1

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Geyer onion is endangered in Saskatchewan because it is rare and is somewhat regionally restricted to the southern part of the province. Possible threats have been identified for this species.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 50 cm

Roots:

bulbs 2 – 10; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, fibrous, netted, gray or brown; inner coats whitish; rhizomes absent

Stems:

persistent, solitary, erect, rounded

Leaves:

3 – 5, sheathing, blades 12 – 30 cm long, shorter than stem, 1 – 3 mm wide solid, channelled, margin entire or square-toothed

Inflorescence:

umbrella-like, erect, compact, nearly round, 10 – 25-flowered and without small bulbs or inflorescence 1 – 5-flowered with small bulbs; flower stalks twice the tepal length or less; bracts 2 – 3, tip long-tapered, 1-nerved

Flowers:

tepals erect or spreading, 6 – 8 mm long, bell-shaped, oval to lance-shaped, pink to white, boat-shaped with hardened ridge, margins obscurely toothed; stamens 6, included, anthers yellow; ovary inconspicuously 6-crested with low knobs, style linear, stigma head-like

Fruits:

capsule; seeds shiny, with minute blisters in the centre of each pit of the honeycomb pattern

ALLIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

1 Flowers sterile, some or all replaced by small bulbs	A. geyeri
1 Flowers fertile, small bulbs usually absent	2

2 Leaves hollow and round in cross section; stalks shorter than flowers; ovary crestless	3
2 Leaves flat or channelled, not hollow; stalks equal to or longer than flowers; ovary crested with 6 flattened or knob-like processes	4

3 Leaves slender, equal to or longer than stem; bulbs crowded	A. schoenoprasum var. schoenoprasum
3 Leaves coarse, shorter than stem; bulbs few	A. schoenoprasum var. sibiricum

4 Outer bulb coats fibrous, netted; bulb usually solitary	5
4 Outer bulb coats membranous or only slight fibrous; bulbs one or more	6

5 Stems to 60 cm tall; leaves 3 or more per stem; tepals to 1 cm long, usually pink	A. geyeri
5 Stems to 30 cm tall; leaves usually 2 per stem; tepals < 7 mm long, usually white	A. textile

6 Flowers bell-shaped, tepals erect, flower stalks to 3 cm long; stem nodding	A. cernuum
6 Flowers star-shaped, tepals spreading, flower stalks to 1.5 cm long; stem erect	A. stellatum