Amaryllis Family  –  Amaryllidaceae

Plant Description: Robinson’s Onion is a 1 to 2 inch tall perennial. The 2 leaves are flat, recurved, much longer than the flowering stem, succulent, lie flat on the ground, and persist through flowering.The flowering stem is flattened and 2-edged, with 2 ovate, purple bracts below a crowded umbel of a few to many flowers.  The pedicels are shorter than the tepals.

Flower Description: The tepals are 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, white, pale pink or red, tapered, with pink mid-veins. The 6 stamen are about 1/3 the length of the tepals, with reddish anthers.

Notes:

• Robinson’s Onion has been moved from the Lily Family to the Amaryllis Family.  See “APG Changes” page.
• Robinson’s Onion is similar to Scalloped Onion, but grows in sand and gravel on the basaltic outcrops along the Columbia River in central WA and adjacent Oregon and in the gravely areas along the Columbia Basin.

 Robinson’s Onion Photo Gallery