Papery onion facts for kids

The Papery Onion (Allium membranaceum) is a special kind of wild onion. It's called 'papery' because its flower parts become thin like paper when they get older. This plant is found only in California, which means it is endemic to that state. It grows in forests and on slopes in different parts of California, including the southern Cascade Range and the northern California Coast Ranges. You can also find it in the Sierra Nevada foothills. It lives in places that are 200 to 1400 meters (about 650 to 4600 feet) above sea level.

What is a Papery Onion?

The Papery Onion is a type of plant that grows from a special underground storage part called a bulb. This bulb is shaped like an egg and can be up to 1.7 centimeters (about 0.7 inches) long. Sometimes, you might find a group of smaller bulbs growing together with the main one.

How It Looks

The plant has a stem that can grow up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) tall. It also has two or three long, flat leaves that are usually about the same length as the stem.

The Flowers

At the top of the stem, there is a cluster of flowers called an inflorescence. This cluster can have up to 35 individual flowers. Each flower has parts called tepals, which are like petals and sepals combined. These tepals are usually white or a light pink color. As the flowers get older, these tepals become thin and papery, which gives the plant its common name. The parts inside the flower that hold pollen (called anthers) are yellow, and the pollen itself is also yellow.