Allium bisceptrum

Twincrest onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Twincrest onion is a California native perennial found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Great Basin region in meadows and aspen groves at elevations of 2,000 to 2,900 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to rose-purple flowers in clusters of 15 to 40 blooms. Growing 10 to 35 centimeters tall with 1 to 3 stems, it features a small ovoid bulb with bulblets clustered at the base. Its leaves are 2 to 5 in number, widely channeled and approximately equal in length to the stem. The distinctive flower perianth parts are lanceolate and acuminate, with low triangular crests on the ovary.

Habitat: Meadows, aspen groves

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 2000-2900 m

Bioregions: CaRH, SNH, GB

California counties: Alpine, Mono, Madera, Calaveras, Inyo, San Bernardino, San Diego, Lassen, El Dorado, Santa Barbara, Tuolumne, Tulare, Ventura, Fresno, Nevada, Plumas, Modoc, Trinity, Mariposa, Shasta, Placer, Sierra, Santa Clara, Marin

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