bulblets; pedicels slender, not jointed; perianth persistent, its 6 segments white 

 to purple and distinct or united at the base: stamens inserted on the bases of the 

 perianth segments; filaments filiform or dilated, sometimes toothed; style filiform, 

 jointed; capsule obovate-globose. obtusely 3-lobed. often crested, loculicidally 

 dehiscent; seeds obovoid or ovoid-reniform, wrinkled, black. 



A genus of 450 or more species widely distributed in the North Temperate 

 Zone. Sometimes segregated, with a few other liliaceous genera, as a separate 

 family, the Alliaceae. 



1. Flowering pedicels mostly or entirely replaced by bulbils; flowers rarely pro- 

 ducing capsules or seeds 1. A. canadense. 



1. Umbels floriferous and capsuliferous; bulbils unknown 2. A. Geyeri. 



1. Allium canadense L. var. canadense. Canada garlic. 



Bulb ovoid, without basal bulblets. often one of a cluster; inner bulb coats 

 whitish, the epidermal cells obscure, vertically elongate, regular or nearly so; 

 outer bulb coats persisting as a series of grayish or brownish fibrous fine- to 

 coarse-meshed open reticula. enclosing 1 or more bulbs or soon disintegrating; 

 fleshy scales 2 to 5. with mild to strong garlic flavor; leaves usually 3 or more 

 per bulb, channeled, concavo-convex in cross section, 1-5 mm. broad, usually with 

 entire margins, shorter than the scape, green at anthesis; scape 1.5-5 dm. tall, 

 terete, solitary; spathe membranaceous, caudate, breaking before anthesis into 

 usually 3 separate or partially united 3- to 7-nerved bracts that are ovate to 

 lanceolate and acuminate; umbel with few or no flowers, the pedicels being re- 

 placed (all or in part) by ovoid bulbils, some of which may in turn bear secondary 

 umbels; pedicels (when present) 2 to several times the length of the perianth, 

 elongating and becoming rigid when fruit is produced; perianth broadly cam-' 

 panulate; perianth segments 4-7 mm. long, elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse to acute, 

 entire, spreading, white or pink, withering in fruit, the midribs somewhat thick- 

 ened; stamens shorter than the perianth; fliaments subulate, dilated and united 

 into a cup at base; anthers oblong, obtuse to acute; ovary crestless style linear, 

 about equaling the filaments in length; stigma capitate, entire or obscurely lobed; 

 seeds black, shining, finely alveolate, and alveoli each with a minute pustule in the 

 center. A. miitahile Michx. 



Roadsides, wet meadows, woods and fields in the e. third of Okla. {Waterfall) 

 and Tex.. Mar.-May; generally distributed throughout e. N.A. 



2. Allium Geyeri Wats. 



Bulb ovoid or more elongate, without basal bulblets. usually one of a cluster; 

 inner bulb coats whitish, epidermal cells vertically elongate and regular or obscure; 

 outer bulb coats persisting as a series of gray or brown fibrous rather coarse- 

 meshed open reticula, enclosing 1 or more bulbs; fleshy bulb scales 3 or 4. strongly 

 garlic-flavored; leaves ordinary 3 or more per scape, channeled, concavo-convex 

 in cross section, 1-5 mm. broad, entire or denticulate on the margins, usually 

 shorter than the scape, green at anthesis; scape 1-5 dm. tall, terete or somewhat 

 angled, solitary; spathe membranaceous, acuminate, breaking before anthesis into 

 2 or 3 separate or partially united ovate to lanceolate acuminate I -nerved bracts; 

 umbel 10- to 25- (sometimes more-) flowered, erect; pedicels nearly equal in 

 length, often less than twice that of the perianth, becoming rigid and stiffly spread- 

 ing in fruit, usually not flexuous; perianth urccolate-campanulate; perianth seg- 

 ments 4-10 (usually 6-8) mm. long, ovate to lanceolate, obtuse to acuminate, 

 erect, pink or white, often obscurely toothed on the margins and papillose on the 

 midribs, becoming callous-keeled and permanently investing the fruit; stamens 

 usually shorter than the perianth; filaments subulate, dilated and united into a cup 

 at base; anthers oblong, obtuse or umbonate; ovary inconspicuously crested with 6 



656 



