Allium peninsulare facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Allium peninsulare |
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| Allium peninsulare | |
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Allium peninsulare is a type of wild onion found in North America. People often call it the Mexicali onion or Peninsula onion. The name "Mexicali" comes from a city in Mexico, and "Peninsula" refers to the Baja California Peninsula. This plant grows across California, USA. You can find it in places like the California Coast Ranges, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, some Channel Islands, and the Peninsular Ranges. Its home also stretches south into northern Baja California and north into southern Oregon.
About the Peninsula Onion
The Allium peninsulare usually grows in open areas. These include Valley Grasslands, Foothill Woodlands, and Coastal Chaparral areas. It can be found at heights up to 1100 meters (about 3660 feet) above sea level.
What the Plant Looks Like
- Bulb: This plant grows from a small bulb. The bulb is usually about 8 to 15 millimeters wide.
- Leaves: It has two or three leaves. These leaves can be channeled (like a shallow groove) or mostly round.
- Flowers: From May to July, the plant sends up a tall stem. This stem, called a scape, can be 12 to 45 centimeters tall. At the top of the scape is a cluster of flowers. This cluster is called an umbel.
- There are usually 5 to 35 flowers in each umbel.
- Each flower sits on a small stalk called a pedicel. These pedicels are about 0.8 to 4 centimeters long.
- The flowers are a pretty red-purple color.
- Each flower has six triangular parts called tepals. Tepals are like petals and sepals combined.
- The three inner tepals are smaller than the outer ones. They also have small "teeth" along their edges.
Types of Peninsula Onion
There are two main types, or varieties, of Allium peninsulare:
- A. peninsulare var. franciscanum: This type has arched leaves. Its stigma (the part of the flower that receives pollen) is not lobed or only slightly lobed. You can find this variety in central California, from Mendocino County to Monterey County.
- A. peninsulare var. peninsulare: This type has straight leaves. Its stigma is clearly three-lobed. This variety is widespread. It grows from Baja California all the way north to Oregon.
