Onion, Drummond’s Onion

Drummond’s Onion Allium drummondii. This onion shares features of Arizona and Belled Onion.  Short (6”), round leaves, and delicate (4-6”), thin stems, grow in dense clusters in moderate shade, rising from small (1/2”) bulbs, deeply (4-6”) buried in clay soils on DORBA roads around the cow pond.  All have a strong oniony smell. Umbels of small (1/2”), white flowers with a lavender blush erupt from a single papery bract.  Flowers have a spike-like pistol rising from a large (1/4”), smooth, domed ovary. Flowers open further than A perdulce, but not as large or flat as A macropetalum (Arizona).  Flowers give rise to spherical seed capsules which turn dark brown before splitting. (16) 4/15/15-5/10/15; 4/15/16- ; 17 no obs; 18 no obs. 4/10/19 – 4/29/19; 4/17/20;

Drummond’s Onion; round leaves growing each year from small onion bulbs, supporting a single spike tipped with an umbel of bell shaped, lavender flowers and stamen, which only partially open

Note; umbels of 15-20 flowers with lavender domed ovary and a sharp spiked pistol.  Stamen and anthers are lavender.