Allium acuminatum

Taper tipped onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Taper tipped onion is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northeastern San Francisco Bay area at Mount Diablo, and the North Coast Ranges in hills and plains at elevations below 1,900 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces white to rose-purple flowers in clusters of 10 to 40 blooms, with delicate lanceolate perianth parts that have reflexed or spreading tips. Growing with slender stems 10 to 35 centimeters tall, it emerges from a small ovoid to nearly spherical bulb with a distinctive yellow-brown outer coating featuring square or polygonal cells with thick walls. Its two to three leaves are roughly cylindrical and approximately equal in length to the stem. The plant's compact inflorescence features flowers with three subtle ovary crests, giving it a delicate and graceful appearance in its native grassland habitats.

Habitat: Hills, plains

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 1900 m

Bioregions: NW, CaR, ne SnFrB (Mount Diablo), MP

California counties: Modoc, Lassen, Siskiyou, Shasta, Humboldt, Mendocino, Contra Costa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Trinity, Glenn, Butte, Mariposa

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.