Nodding
Wild Onion Allium cernuum
Description:
The plant is usually less than 45 centimeters tall, arising from a small
bulb. The smooth stems are round and leafless.
Leaf: Several shorter grass-like, flattened leaves are
at the base of the stem.
Flower: The stem is sharply curved near the top, so
that the single head of flowers is nodding downward. Each flower is on a stalk
up to 3 cm long and has 6 petal-like pinkish segments up to .5 cm long, and 6
prominent, yellow-tipped stamens. The flowers develop into small, rounded seed
capsules.
Blooming months: June-July
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Discussion:
This plant is especially common in prairie remnants around southern
Distribution: Locally frequent in mesic and dry prairies in widely scattered areas, including
the southern Great Lakes region, south-central Missouri, and, rarely, eastern
South Dakota.
Native
or Introduced to
Location:
N41048.677’ W089040.972’
Copyright:
© 2004 Nancy Trainor,
References:
Keller, Carolyn. Prairie Plants of
Ladd, Doug. Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers, The Nature Conservancy, 1995.
Peterson, Roger Tory. Wildflowers Northeastern/North Central
Mohlenbroch, Robert H., and John W. Voigt. Prairie
Plants of
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