Amaryllis Family – Amaryllidaceae
Actual flower size: 3/4 inch across
Taper-tipped Onion is also called Hooker’s Onion.
Plant Description: Taper-tipped Onion is a 6 to 18 inches tall perennial. The reddish, flowering stem is upright and has a loose umbel of 7 to 25 flowers above 2 small, leaf-like bracts. It has 2 or more grass-like, basal leaves, shorter than the flowering stem and withering before flowering.
Flower Description: The tepals are deep rose (occasionally pink or white), pointed and reflexed. The 3 inner tepals are serrated and shorter, narrower and more pointed than the outer tepals and the tips are sharply reflexed. The 3 outer tepals are broader, 1/2 inch long, have smooth edges and pointy tips, and flare out from the base. The 6 stamens are two-thirds the length of the tepals. The flower has a triangular shape when viewed from the top.
Ecology: Taper-tipped Onion grows in open, usually rocky places at low to middle elevations feet.
Notes:
- The entire plant has strong onion odor.
- Taper-tipped Onion has been moved from the Lily Family to the Amaryllis Family. See “APG Changes” page.
Taper-tipped Onion Photo Gallery