Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois

Allium cernuum
Wild onion, Nodding wild onion
Taxonomy

Synonyms:

Subspecific taxa:

Classification:

Other taxonomic & nomenclature sources: USDA Plants;  ITIS;  The Plant List;  IPNI

Images

   
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Species Distribution
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More about map & occurrence records

County Map Legend
Absent:
Not known from county
Medium confidence:
Medium or unknown confidence;
often old records or unverifiable observations
Medium-high confidence:
Often observations by expert botanists
High confidence:
Often vouchered herbarium records
Planted / introduced:
Native species introduced outside historic range,
or only in planted locations within county (e.g., restorations)
Historic / extirpated:
Only historic records for the species; likely extirpated
(Note that this category is not yet functional)

North American distribution maps for this species: FLNA;  USDA Plants;  BONAP;  BISON

Collections, Observations & Flowering by Month [?]

J
0
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0

Collections & Observations by Decade [?]

Species Status

Status/Listing: No Information

Notes:

Origin: Native

Species Description

General: Monocot, perennial

Roots: adventitious, bulbs

Shoots: basal leaf arrangment; simple leaf type; entire leaf margin; Parallel leaf venation; awl-shaped, linear, oblong leaf shape

Inflorescence: umbel

Flowers: perfect; 3 merous; complete, regular; white, others; hypogynous ovary position

Fruit: capsule

Physiology: autotrophic; C3 C02 fixation

Reproduction: sexual, vegetative

Ecology & Natural History

Habitat: Species is distributed in rocky wooded ledges of bluffs; moister situations; sandier areas near Lake Michigan, especially calcareous.

ILPIN Notes: Species has very strong flavor, but if parboiled, is very good to eat; bulbs sometimes pickled (Medsger). Muenscher, W.C.L. 1939. Poisonous Plants of the United States. The Macmillan Co. N.Y., N.Y. 266 pp. Species is found only in NE. Illinois. According to historians, the Indiana name of the plant gave the name to the city of Chicago.

Functional Relationships:

  • Pollinators:
  • Dispersal:
  • Mycorrhizae:
  • N2 fixation:

Human Relationships:

  • Edibility [?] :
  • Showy Flowers:

Wildlife and Livestock Information:

  • Food Value:
  • Cover Value:

Coefficient of Conservatism (C-value) [?] :

  • Entire State: 7
  • Chicago Area: 7

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