Unknown allium

Hi Rob, that plant is almost certainly Allium strictum (synonym A. lineare). This species can be considered the "type" for a group of rather similar species.

One species that it is closely related is Allium splendens (nothing very splendent about it), the true A. splendens is almost never seen (although it is in cultivation), almost everything in cultivation under the name "splendens" is some other species.  If one does a google image search on Allium splendens, you'll see about 30 different allium species, so don't even bother looking :(.  If you do a google image search on Allium strictum, you'll get a higher percentage of correct images, although some misnomers as well, alliums are terribly mixed up in horticulture.

Without seeing closer hand details, there is also a possibility the plant shown in the link is Allium hymenorrhizum, an most variable species.  The emerging foliage of this one is a strong indicator of the species, with strongly falcate initial leaf emergence... later the leaves are more normal looking and strap like

Jandals, your Allium is most likely A. falcifolium, frequent in the Siskiyou Mountains, one of the many desirable dwarf western American alliums.  It ranges from white, to light pink, to deep purplish-rose; the one you show is a very fine form indeed.  The strongly falcate foliage is characteristic of the species, but your subject plant it is so covered with flowers we can't see the foliage. Googling, I could not find a Fiddler's Peak, but did find a Fiddler Mountain, Oregon.

Toole wrote:

Mark and others

Any idea on the name of this tiny autumn white flowering Allium.

Unseasonal 25c here yesterday and some of the flowers opened --i can take a pic if that helps .
Thanks.

Cheers Dave.

I believe this is Allium togashii (published as A. togasii in Ohwi's Flora of Japan).  While giving the impression of being white-flowered, in the forms I have grown I find this species typically has flowers with a pinksih tinge.  Please show us a photo when the flowers open.  By the way, this is a very good well-behaved late summer or early autumn species, one of my favorites, a good one for the rock garden.

Toole wrote:

Mark
Here's the Allium a few days on.No sign of any pink ...yet.

Cheers Dave.

Oh, now that the buds have expanded, what you have here is a nice white form of Allium virgunculae, which is even more choice than A. togashii.