Allium validum S. Watson

Swamp Onion, Tall Swamp Onion, Pacific Onion, Wild Onion

• Class: Monocotyledonae, Monocots
• Family:
  • Liliaceae, Lily Family (Jepson)
  • Amaryllidaceae, Amaryllis Family (Peterson)
  • Alliaceae (gardenbed.com)
• Meaning:
  • Allium = Greek name for garlic
  • validum = strong, stout, able, vigorous
• Habitat:
  • Common in large clumps in wet mountain meadows
  • Subalpine wetland shrub habitat
  • Elevation: 1200-3400 m. (4,000-11,000 feet)
  • Coast Ranges in the Pacific States and British Columbia, Sierra Nevada
• Description:
  • Flowering: June-September
  • Habit: Perennial herb with several oblongoid to ovoid bulbs formed along a rhizome.
  • Stems: Upright, stout, somewhat flattened, 2 to 3 feet tall, smooth.
  • Leaves: Several, basal, flat, elongated, up to 1/2 inch wide, rounded or barely pointed at the tip, much shorter than the stem.
  • Inflorescence: 15-49 flowers in a terminal umber.
  • Flowers: each flower on a slender stalk 1/2-3/4 inch long.
  • Sepals and Petals: 6, similar (tepals), free from each other, pink, narrowly lanceolate, up to 1/2 inch long, pointed at the tip.
  • Stamens: 6, extended above the tepals.
  • Pistils: Ovary superior.
  • Fruits: Capsules nearly spherical, 1/4-1/3 inch in diameter, with several long, slender, not shiny seeds.
  • Odor: Characteristiccally onionlike.
  • Uses:
    • All of the Allium species are know to be edible.
    • Ingestion of huge amounts of onions can cause poisoning.
    • Native Californians, including the Washoe ate Allium validum.
  • References:
    • Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
    • Dictionary of Plant Names, Coombes
    • Wild Edible Plants of the United States, Kirk

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