Species: Allium geyeri S. Wats.

comments | credits | copyright

Back to: Plants at Risk in Saskatchewan

Allium geyeri S. Wats.

Species Image Gallery
(opens in a new window)

TAXONOMY

Family:

Liliaceae

Genus:

Allium geyeri

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

Allium geyeri 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, reticulate, gray or brown; inner coats whitish; rhizomes absent

Stems:

persistent, solitary, erect, terete

Leaves:

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

Inflorescence:

umbel erect, compact, hemispheric to globose, 10 – 25-flowered and bulbils absent or 1 – 5-flowered with acuminate bulbils; pedicels twice the perianth length or less; spathe bracts 2 – 3, apex acuminate, 1-nerved

Flowers:

tepals erect or spreading, 6 – 8 mm long, campanulate, ovate to lanceolate, pink to white, callous-keeled, margins obscurely toothed; stamens 6, included, anthers yellow; ovary inconspicuously 6-crested with low knobs, style linear, stigma capitate

Fruits:

capsule; seeds shiny, with minute pustule in the centre of each alveolus

ALLIUM KEY FOR SPECIES FOUND IN SASKATCHEWAN

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

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

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

4 Outer bulb coats fibrous, reticulate; 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 scape; perianth to 1 cm long, usually pink	A. geyeri
5 Stems to 30 cm tall; leaves usually 2 per scape; perianth < 7 mm long, usually white	A. textile

6 Flowers campanulate, tepals erect, pedicels to 3 cm long; scape nodding	A. cernuum
6 Flowers stellate, tepals spreading, pedicels to 1.5 cm long; scape erect	A. stellatum