Glassy Onion

Allium hyalinum is known from the Sierra Nevada foothills and inner south Coast Range.

Bulbs generally 2–20+, increase bulbs absent or ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid to ± globose, 0.5–1.2 × 0.5–1.2 cm; outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray-brown to brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells arranged in ± vertical rows, forming irregular herringbone pattern, transversely elongate, ± wavy, V-shaped, without fibers; inner coats yellow or white, cells obscure, arranged in vertical rows, forming a herringbone pattern or contorted, V-shaped. Leaves persistent, withering from tip by anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface; blade solid, subterete or ± channeled, not carinate, 7–40 cm × 1–3 mm, margins entire. Scape persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 15–45 cm × 2–4 mm. Umbel shattering after seeds mature, each flower deciduous with its pedicel as a unit, erect, loose, 5–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–5-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate. Flowers stellate, 6–10 mm; tepals spreading at anthesis, white to pink, lance-ovate to broadly ovate, ± equal, becoming hyaline and connivent over capsule, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded; stamens included; anthers yellow or purple; pollen yellow; ovary crestless; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed; pedicel 10–35 mm. Seed coat dull; cells minutely roughened. 2n = 14.

Calif.

Flowering Mar--May.

Heavy, clay soils on shaded slopes; 50--1500m.

Allium hyalinum is a Californian species of wild onion known by the common name glassy onion.

It is endemic to California, where it is a common species of the Sierra Nevada foothills, from 50–1,500 metres (160–4,920 ft) in elevation, from Kern County to Butte County. There are additional populations in the Coast Ranges of Lake, Alameda, Santa Clara, Merced, and San Benito Counties.