Mexicali Onion
Allium peninsulare
The Mexicali Onion is a native species of onion with brilliant magenta flowers. A long, leafless stem, known as a scape, emerges from the 8-15 mm wide bulbs. The light green, spongy scape, 12-45 cm in length, typically curves, rather than standing upright. The 2-3 slender, grooved leaves, less than 60 cm long, grow out from the base; however, they typically wither before the flowers open. The notable magenta flowers bloom from the top of the scapes in an open umbel, in which 5-35 flowers grow in a spoke-like cluster from a single point. Each flower has three outer petals and 3 inner petals, in separate whorls. The fruit is a dry, chambered capsule with small black seeds.
Basic Information
Member of the Alliaceae, or onion, family
Perennial herb
Geophyte, growing from an underground bulb
There are two recognized varieties:
A. peninsulare var. franciscanum — native to central California from Mendocino County to Monterey County; the leaves are arched and the stigma (the protrusion where the pollen germinates) is unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed
A. peninsulare var. peninsulare — widespread from Baja California to Oregon; the leaves are straight and the stigma (the protrusion where the pollen germinates) is strongly 3-lobed
Habitat
Native from northern Baja California south to lower Oregon
In California, the plant is widespread, growing in the California Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, Peninsular Ranges, and some of the Channel Islands
Found in the open grassy areas of valley grasslands, foothill woodlands, and coastal chaparral ecosystems
Ecological Role
Larval host plant for several moth species, including the alfalfa looper moth (Autographa californica)
Pollinated by insects
Reproduction
Blooms from late April to early July
Alternative Names
Peninsula Onion
Historical Uses
The Native people had many uses for wild onions (Allium species)
Ate the bulbs boiled, steamed, roasted, or baked in earthen ovens
Ate fresh stems and leaves
Used bulb as an analgesic, or painkiller, for insect stings and bites
Treated colds and throat irritations with a syrup from plant juice
The Mexicali onion in particular was eaten by the Tubatulabal
Additional Information
The Franciscan Onion, A. peninsulare var. franciscanum, is considered rare, threatened, or endangered in California and elsewhere
