Allium schoenoprasum

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 1: 301. 1753.

Common names: Chive
Illustrated
Synonyms: Allium schoenoprasum var. laurentianum Fernald Allium schoenoprasum var. sibiricum (Linnaeus) Hartman Allium sibiricum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 240. Mentioned on page 224, 225, 226, 228, 239.

Bulbs 1 or more, clustered, short-rhizomatous at base, cylindric, elongate, 0.5–0.9 × 1.5–2 cm; outer coats enclosing bulbs, grayish or brownish, persisting as fibrous reticulum but often appearing membranous as outer coats lost during collecting, cells minutely striate; inner coats whitish or pinkish, cells closely parallel, elongate. Leaves persistent, green at anthesis, usually 2, distalmost usually ensheathing 1/3–1/2 scape; blade hollow, terete, fistulose, 20–60 cm × 2–7 mm. Scape persistent, 2–12+, clustered, erect, terete, fistulose, 20–50 cm × 3–5 mm. Umbel persistent, erect, compact, 30–50-flowered, ± subglobose, bulbils unknown; spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–7-veined, lanceolate to broadly ovate, ± equal, apex short-acuminate. Flowers campanulate, 8–12 mm; tepals erect, pale-purple to deep lilac, drying pink, particularly on midrib, or white, elliptic to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, permanently investing capsule, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, tips ± recurved, midribs not thickened; stamens included; anthers purple; pollen white; ovary crestless; style linear, equaling stamens; stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed; pedicel 2–6 mm. Seed-coat shining; cells minutely roughened, not pustuliferous. 2n = 16.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Wet meadows, rocky or gravelly stream banks and lake shores, circumboreal
Elevation: 0–3500 m

Distribution

Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Nunavut, Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Colo., Conn., Idaho, Maine, Mass., Mich., Minn., Mont., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., Vt., Wash., Wis., Wyo., Siberia

Discussion

Allium schoenoprasum is native in North America, but it is also cultivated and has widely escaped. It is an extremely polymorphic species, and throughout its range both large and small races occur. These plants have been known as A. sibiricum, A. schoenoprasum var. sibiricum, or A. schoenoprasum var. laurentianum, and many, largely unsuccessful, attempts have been made to distinguish the varieties. Until the variation can be worked out along natural lines, if any, instead of unstable features such as plant size, and color and shape of the tepals, recognition of these varieties is unsound. Because we are unable to separate native populations from many of the escaped ones, we cannot reliably map the native distribution of this taxon in the flora.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"thicker" is not a number."broad" is not a number.

... more about "Allium schoenoprasum"
versatile +  and dorsifixed +
cordate +  and linear +
acute +  and acuminate +
Dale W. McNeal Jr. +  and T. D. Jacobsen +
Linnaeus +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
dilated +
straight +
20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br /> (60 cm600 mm <br />0.6 m <br />) +
fistulose +  and terete +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br />) +
conspicuous +
1;several +
short-rhizomatous +
0.5cm +  and 0.9cm +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
not pustuliferous +
elongate +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Nunavut +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Idaho +, Maine +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mont. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, Vt. +, Wash. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +  and Siberia +
0–3500 m +
connate-coroniform +  and dilated +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
campanulate +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
loculicidal +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
Wet meadows, rocky or gravelly stream banks and lake shores, circumboreal +
paired +, paniculate +  and racemose +
pinkish +  and whitish +
persistent +
not thickened +
brownish +  and grayish +
crested;3-lobed +
many;several +
spreading +  and erect +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
membranous +
zygomorphic +  and actinomorphic +
Flowering Jun–Aug. +
membranous +  and fibrous +
persistent +
20cm +  and 50cm +
fistulose +  and terete +
3mm +  and 5mm +
wind-distributed +
1 +  and many +
obovoid +
Illustrated +
adnate +  and free +
1 +  and several +
lobed +, unlobed +  and capitate +
Allium schoenoprasum var. laurentianum +, Allium schoenoprasum var. sibiricum +  and Allium sibiricum +
Allium schoenoprasum +
species +
white;pink;pale-purple;deep lilac +
persisting +
distinct +
elliptic +  and lanceolate +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
30-50-flowered +
persistent +
subglobose +
9 +, 8 +  and 7 +