Allium aaseae, the Southern Idaho onion or Aase's onion, is a plant species endemic to southwestern Idaho. It has been reported from 6 counties: Elmore, Ada, Boise, Gem, Payette and Washington.Flora of North America v 26 p 268, Allium aaseaeBONAP (Biota of North America Project) floristic synthesis map, Allium aaseaeMancuso, M, & RK Moseley. 1991. Field investigation of Allium aaseae (Aase's onion) on the Boise National Forest. Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise
The plant is named for American botanist Hannah Caroline Aase (1883-1980), at one time professor at Washington State University in Pullman.Ownbey, M. and H. C. Aase. 1955. Cytotaxonomic studies in Allium. I. The Allium canadense alliance. Research Studies of the State College of Washington, supplement 1: 1–106.
Allium aaseae grows on sandy and gravelly sites at elevations of 800–1100 m. It has egg-shaped bulbs up to 2 cm in diameter, and pink or white bell-shaped flowers up to 10 mm long.Ownbey, Francis Marion. 1950. Research Studies of the State College of Washington 18(1): 38–39, f. 18.Cronquist, A.J., A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren & Reveal. 1977. Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, U.S.A. 6: 1–584. In A.J. Cronquist, A. H. Holmgren, N. H. Holmgren, J. L. Reveal & P. K. Holmgren (eds.) Intermountain Flora. Hafner Pub. Co., New York.Hitchcock, C. H., A.J. Cronquist, F. M. Ownbey & J. W. Thompson. 1969. Vascular Cryptogams, Gymnosperms, and Monocotyledons. 1: 1–914. In C. L. Hitchcock Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, Seattle.Smith, JF, & TV Pham. 1996. Genetic diversity of the narrow endemic Allium aaseae (Alliaceae). American Journal of Botany 83:717-726.
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