Coastal onion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coastal onion |
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| Allium dichlamydeum | |
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The Coastal Onion (scientific name: Allium dichlamydeum) is a type of wild onion. It gets its common name because it grows mainly along the coast. This plant is found only in California, which means it is endemic there. You can spot it on sea cliffs and hills that look out over the Pacific Ocean. Its home stretches from Santa Barbara County all the way north to Mendocino County.
Description
The Coastal Onion grows from a bulb that is brown or gray. This bulb is usually about 1.0 to 1.5 centimeters wide. The plant has a strong, green stem that stands tall. Around the stem, there are 3 to 6 long leaves, similar to those you see on other onion plants.
At the very top of this thick stem, you'll find a cluster of flowers. This cluster is called an inflorescence. It can have anywhere from 5 to 30 flowers. Each flower is about one centimeter wide. They have six petal-like parts called tepals. These tepals are oval-shaped with slightly dull points. Their colors can range from bright magenta to fuchsia.
