Allium tuolumnense

Rawhide hill onion, Rawhide Hill Onion, Rawhide Hill onion, Rawhide Hill onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Rawhide hill onion is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in central Sierra Nevada foothills in southwestern Tuolumne County on serpentine slopes at elevations of 300 to 600 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white to pink flowers in clusters of 20 to 60 blooms, each flower 6 to 8 millimeters long with delicate ascending perianth parts. Growing with a stout stem 25 to 50 centimeters tall, it emerges from a distinctive ovoid bulb with red-brown outer coats. Its single leaf is cylindrical and approximately equal in length to the stem, providing a clean, architectural growth habit. The plant's ovary features six obvious, deeply cut crests, adding to its unique botanical character.

Habitat: Serpentine slopes

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 300-600 m

Bioregions: c SNF (sw Tuolumne Co.).

California counties: Tuolumne

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