Allium sharsmithiae

Sharsmith's onion, Sharsmith's onion, Sharsmith's onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Sharsmith's onion is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the southeastern San Francisco Bay Area's Mount Hamilton Range in rocky serpentine slopes at elevations of 400 to 1,200 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces deep red-purple flowers with lanceolate perianth parts, creating delicate clusters of 5 to 50 blooms. Growing with slender stems 4 to 17 centimeters tall, it emerges from a small ovoid bulb with a red-brown outer coating. Its single leaf is cylindrical and approximately twice the length of the stem. The plant features distinctive ovary crests that are obvious, entire, and generally papillate, giving it a unique botanical character.

Habitat: Rocky serpentine slopes

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: 400-1200 m

Bioregions: se SnFrB (Mount Hamilton Range).

California counties: Stanislaus, Alameda, Santa Clara

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