Allium 2011

[McDonough]

Pursuant to a more positive identification.  What is your best guess now, Mark...
Allium sikkimense?
                        

Sorry about late reply, but yes, looks like Allium sikkimense to me.  I find it so interesting that in some (most) forms, the buds and inflorescences are pendant to semi-pendant, but in other forms they are semi-erect to totally upright, as in your plants.  Good diagnostic images.

[McDonough]

Welcome for its late flowering, although not terribly showy, is the European Allium ericetorum.




I forgot the source of my original plants, I had a couple different sources.  Gave plants to a friend (Marsha Russell) years ago of one of the forms.  Over the years, I lost both forms, but fortunately Marsha has it growing, and gave me back a nice clump.  Here's tow photos, one of A. ericetorum with a nice mossy-rock-outcropping background, and one showing a bit of that allium with a good display from pink-flowered A. saxatile.




Checking the species spelling on IPNI.ORG, I noticed that a new subspecies was recently published, must research to find out more about it:
Allium ericetorum Thore subsp. pseudosuaveolens (Zahar.) Ciocârlan -- Fl. Il. României 1083. 2009

On the type species, here's some information and photos from Flora of Italy:
http://luirig.altervista.org/schedeit/ae/allium_ericetorum.htm

In Spain:
http://www.asturnatura.com/especie/allium-ericetorum.html

A few photos from CalPhotos (they sometimes include photos of plants taken in different countries), here from Slovenia.  It seems that some forms are much more attractive than others:
http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?stat=BROWSE&query_src=photos_flora_sci&where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Allium+ericetorum&title_tag=Allium+ericetorum

A few more pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonjoan/2811072072/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonjoan/2810225635/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/simonjoan/2810224747/in/photostream/

[Lori S.]

Allium ericitorum is really attractive!  Nice to hear it's late-blooming - I think we are all constantly on the search for late flowers! 

[RickR]

No need to apologize for you reply, Mark.  We're all glad that you still find time to participate!  Thanks so much - and for the added insight on A. sikkimense, too.

Yes, the Slovenian form of A. ericetorum is especially attractive.  But I am a little biased: three of my grandparents immigrated from western Slovenia.  The species form from the Julian Alps has never been listed in the NARGS seed ex that I know of.  I would have snapped it up, even not knowing how nice it looks!  Najlepše!  (Most beautiful!)

[McDonough]

I've missed much of the season this year, and now with days growing short and waning daylight, I don't get to see the garden until the weekend.

Just noticed last week (09-05-2011) that Allium callimischon ssp. callimischon was blooming, nearly swamped by Oenothera fremontii.  This particular Oenothera is taprooted and not stoloniferous, although the radial stems go 2' in each direction so make a robust circular plant 4' (1.3 m) across!  I do like it however, for the extra large yellow flower that continue until frost, each flower fading to orange by morning.  I plan on moving the Allium to some spot with less competition and where I can better enjoy at close hand its small dimensions. 

Sorry about the poor quality photo, it was nearly dark, and the digital camera I've been using (shared with my daughter) has now traveled with my daughter for her freshman year in college, so I'm using my telephone's built-in camera... 8 megapixel but with very limited presets and configurations, takes good photos indoors but terrible one in the landscape.




Seedlings of Allium fedtschenkoanum from Kazakhstan... I will be a happy man if they survive and mature to show gorgeous golden-yellow flowers as seen in the following links:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5766.msg173205#msg173205
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=7511.msg206332#msg206332




I've grown a number of Mexican species over the years collected by the late Thad Howard, a few species no longer with me.  Several have proved very hardy.  The following one was simply listed as Allium sp. collected Oaxaca, Mexico in moist soil... I believe it is Allium subteretifolium.  It only flowered once of twice about 10 years ago, can't remember what time of year it flowered, had few-flowered umbels of white dark-veined flowers.  For these past years it grows and increases happily outdoors in the ground, but NEVER blooms.




Another poor quality photo taken in low light, late flowering forms of Allium stellatum at their peak now.

[RickR]

It looks like the foliage of Allium callimischon ssp. callimischon has already died back?  Love the flowers, too!

[McDonough]

It looks like the foliage of Allium callimischon ssp. callimischon has already died back?  Love the flowers, too!

Yes, this species is one of those tricky surprise fall bloomers; the foliage dies back in summer, leaving just bare stems and bud spathes that are so narrow to be indistinguishable from the stems, then suddenly in late summer they come back to life and pop into bloom.

[McDonough]

Still waiting on Allium aff. thunbergii DJH (Dan J. Hinkley), which I believe is actually the closely related A. sacculiferum, notice how tight the budded heads are.




I was at the Garden In The Woods today, the display garden of the New England Wildflower Society... great plants to see there, and there were lots of seed heads on ramps, Allium tricoccum.  They're distinctive in how the shiny black pellet-like seed seem glued to the open capsules, having a bluish cast that catches and reflects light.  In its seed disposition, and early-season broad leaves that go dormant in summer, it shows affinity with Allium victorialis.

[McDonough]

An update to Allium aff. thunbergii DJH (Dan J. Hinkley) shown in bud in the post above; I was away traveling for a week to return to see the small colony in full bloom.  To help compare with typical Allium thunbergii (and the selection 'Ozawa'), I have put some photos side by side.

The heads of A. thunbergii 'Ozawa' on the left, have fewer florets on pedicels that arch out and droop in an informal relaxed way.  In the middle is a robust seedling from A. thunbergii 'Ozawa' with more dense heads on taller stems, yet the drooping nature of the florets is still seen.  On the right is the Dan Hinkley selection going around as A. thunbergii but is closer to A. succuliferum in my opinion, the heads are densely flowered in firm spherical heads, without droopy pedicels.




Here's a general view showing the clump of A. sacculiferum, along with a small Gentiana clausa on the left, and Saxifraga fortunei just starting to flower in the lower-center left.

[McDonough]

Another view of Allium aff. thunbergii DJH (Dan Hinkley) probably A. sacculiferum. Nice to have dependable small growing bulbs for the woodland or shaded garden for autumn bloom.

[McDonough]

I'm cross-posting into the Allium topic, where one might better expect to find such information:

Allium robinsonii is a rare species that is found primarily along the Columbia River Gorge, but also found "inland" in a few counties in Central Washington State, it is considered extirpated (no longer found) in northern Oregon at the confluence of the John Day River with the Columbia River.
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?ID=2438
http://web.ewu.edu/ewflora/Liliaceae/Allium%20robinsonii.html
...this image show the habitat, growing in pure sand, amongst scattered rocks of black basalt:
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/imagelarge.php?ImageNumber=379&TaxonID=2438&SourcePage=taxon&


Back in the 1980s I spent a lot of time looking for this rarity, and found it growing among "sand benches", low flat areas just above the high water mark, sharing company with Salvia dorrii, often catching a bit of shade or protection at the base of these low gnarly shrubs:
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?ID=2372

...and delightful Erigeron poliospermus:
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php?ID=444
http://www.wnps.org/plants/erigeron_poliospermus.html

[Hoy]

Mark, do you have these onions
http://yuzawa-engei.net/11English/02Allium/Allium_page.html

[McDonough]

Mark, do you have theese onions
http://yuzawa-engei.net/11English/02Allium/Allium_page.html

I do!  Trond, an excellent nursery link (they have seed too) of many desirable plants.

[McDonough]

I love the autumn alliums, and I'm happy to have found plants listed as Allium thunbergii alba at a local nursery this late summer, but in fact since it is such a small grower (about 3-4" tall, 7.5-10 cm)) and fewer-flowered than most thunbergii forms, maybe this is a white form of Allium virgunculae instead.  After drenching rains for several days, the flowers look perfect today.

View of Allium "thunbergii" or virgulculae alba with Saxifraga fortunei blooming in the background:


Two closeup views showing the perky pure white flower clusters:



Still waiting for the tiny Allium virgunculae to open its flowers, now still in tight bud, with flower stems at about 2" (5 cm) tall.



A reliable old planting of Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa' planted at the base of a Magnolia tree.



Two views of a tall form of Allium thunbergii sent to me by a friend last year.

[RickR]

Those little guys are so sweet!

You lucked out, Mark!