Allium atrorubens

Dark red onion
"Allium atrorubens" found in the White Mountains near Esmeralda, Nevada
Allium atrorubens found in the White Mountains in Esmeralda County, Nevada
Apparently Secure
Apparently Secure (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Allium
Subgenus: A. subg. Amerallium
Species:
A. atrorubens
Binomial name
Allium atrorubens
Varieties[2]
  • A. a. var. atrorubens
  • A. a. var. cristatum
Synonyms[3]
  • Allium cristatum
  • Allium decipiens
  • Allium inyonis

Allium atrorubens is a species of wild onion known by the common name dark red onion. This plant is native to the southwestern United States where it grows in the sandy soils of the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin and higher-elevation deserts in Nevada, eastern California (San Bernardino, Kern, Mono, Inyo and Lassen Counties) southwestern Utah (Kane, Millard and Beaver Counties), northwestern Arizona (Mohave and Coconino Counties).[4][5]

Allium atrorubens grows from a reddish-brown bulb 1–1.5 cm (3⁄8–5⁄8 in) across. The stem is short and is surrounded by few coiled tubular leaves. Atop the stem is an inflorescence of up to 50 flowers. Each flower has six shiny, iridescent, sharply triangular tepals with dark midveins. The tepals are usually magenta to maroon but are lighter pink or white occasionally. Each flower is about 1 cm (3⁄8 in) wide.[4][6][7]

Taxonomy

In 1871 the botanist Sereno Watson scientifically described a new species in the Allium genus which he named Allium atrorubens. Along with its genus it is classified in the Amaryllidaceae family and according to Plants of the World Online it has two varieties.[2]

  • Allium atrorubens var. atrorubens – Native to California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah[8]
  • Allium atrorubens var. cristatum – Also native to California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah[3]

Variety cristatum has seven synonyms.[3]

Table of Synonyms
Name Year Rank Notes
Allium atrorubens subsp. inyonis (M.E.Jones) Traub 1972 subspecies = het.
Allium atrorubens var. inyonis (M.E.Jones) Ownbey & Aase 1977 variety = het.
Allium cristatum S.Watson 1879 species ≡ hom.
Allium decipiens M.E.Jones 1902 species = het., nom. illeg. homonym. post.
Allium inyonis M.E.Jones 1902 species = het.
Allium nevadense subsp. cristatum (S.Watson) Traub & Ownbey 1967 subspecies ≡ hom.
Allium nevadense var. cristatum (S.Watson) Ownbey 1947 variety ≡ hom.
Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym ; = heterotypic synonym

References

  1. ↑ NatureServe (31 July 2026). "Allium atrorubens". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 POWO (2026). "Allium atrorubens S.Watson". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 POWO (2026). "Allium atrorubens var. cristatum (S.Watson) McNeal". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 McNeal, Dale W. Jr.; Jacobsen, T. D. (2002). "Allium atrorubens". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 26. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. ↑ Kartesz, John T. (2014). "Allium atrorubens". County-level distribution map from the North American Plant Atlas (NAPA). Biota of North America Program (BONAP).
  6. ↑ Watson, Sereno (1871). "Botany". United States Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel. Vol. 5. p. 352.
  7. ↑ Cronquist, A.J.; Holmgren, A. H.; Holmgren, N. H.; Reveal (1977). "Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A.". In Cronquist, A.J.; Holmgren, A. H.; Holmgren, N. H.; Reveal, J. L.; Holmgren, P. K. (eds.). Intermountain Flora. Vol. 6. New York: Hafner Pub. Co. pp. 1–584.
  8. ↑ POWO (2026). "Allium atrorubens var. atrorubens". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 August 2026.


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