Tolmie's Onion Allium tolmiei var. tolmiei (Synonyms: Allium cusickii, Allium pleianthum, Allium tolmiei var. platyphyllum)

Tolmie's onion is an attractive wild onion from the Pacific Northwest. It arises from oval bulbs which are often clustered. It has two leaves which are usually wide, thickened, and flat in cross-section. In addition, the leaves are strongly sickle-shaped. The leaves also persist through the bloom period.. Individual leaves are 1 to 10 mm wide, and usually up to twice as long as the flower stem.

var. tolmiei-- The stamens are 1/2 to occasionally 4/5 the length to the tepals. The tepals are 6 to 10 mm long. The scape is 5 to 12 cm tall (measured from ground level). The bracts are 5 to 11- nerved. Found from southeastern Washington south to northeastern California, and eastward to western Idaho.

var. platyphyllum-- The stamens are 1/2 to occasionally 4/5 the length to the tepals. The scape is 10 to 25 cm long. The tepals are 8 to 12 mm long. The bracts are 11 to 19- nerved. Found in northern Union and Wallowa Counties, OR and in western Idaho County, Ida..

var. persimile-- The stamens are nearly as long as the tepals. The scape is 10 to 25 cm tall. Found in Adams County, Ida in the southern Seven Devils Mts.

The photo above shows a close-up of several flowers of Tolmie's onion as seen on basalt outcrops along OR highway 219 east of Clarno, OR..........April 19, 2007.

Tolmie's onion is found on dry, open ground, usually in rocky, gravelly, or clay soils.

Tolmie's onion is found from southeastern Washington south to northeastern California, and east to western Idaho.

Tolmie's onion blooming (left) on Baldy Mountain, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.......July 2, 2010. The photo at right shows Tolmie's onion in bloom along FS Road 2230 on Mt. Pisgah, Ochoco National Forest........June 13, 2015.

Tolmie's onion blooming atop rock outcrops along Trail #201 above Wildcat Basin, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness......July 1, 2010.

Tolmie's onion blooming on talus slopes (left) at the Lawrence Memorial Grasslands several miles southwest of Shaniko, OR........May 15, 2010. The photo at right shows Tolmie's onion blooming on a scabland viewpoint overlooking Big Summit Prairie off FS Road 4230-920, Ochoco National Forest.........April 30, 2016.

Tolmie's onion as seen left at a viewpoint along US Highway 26 several miles east of Prairie City, Oregon........June 3, 2011. The photo at right shows Tolmie's onion as seen in scablands between Forest Road 4040 and the North Fork Crooked River, Ochoco National Forest.........May 11, 2017.

Tomie's onion as seen on a gravelly bald along the Canyon Mountain Trail #218, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness..........May 29, 2014.

Tolmie's onion blooming along the Steens Mountain North Loop Road near a cattle guard and fence at the junction between the juniper forest and sagebrush steppe zones, Steens Mountain of southeastern Oregon...........June 2, 2012.

Additional images of Tolmie's onion as seen beginning to bloom on rock outcrops around Jackman Park, Steens Mountain of southeastern Oregon.........June 2, 2012. The close-up of the inflorescence at upper right shows an individual with more slender tepals which is reminiscent of the old variety pleianthum.

Tolmie's onion at left with slender-fruited desert parsley (Lomatium leptocarpum) and lance-leaved stoncrop (Sedum lanceolatum) as seen along the North Loop Road across from the entrance to Kiger Gorge, Steens Mountain. The photo at right shows Tolmie's onion on Sheep Ridge, Umatilla National Forest......June 17, 2023.

What appears to be tolmie's onion on rocky mudflats at Summit Prairie, Malheur National Forest..........May 28, 2014.

Tolmie's onion as seen left near the summit of Round Mt., Ochoco National Forest.........May 30, 2016. The photo at right shows Tolmie's onion as seen near the junction of FS Road 42 and FS Rd 3010, Ochoco National Forest......... April 29, 2016.

Tolmie's onion on rocky, vernally moist slopes uphill to the north from Pisgah Meadows, Ochoco National Forest.........June 13, 2015. This site is along the southern edge of the Bridge Creek Wilderness.

Tolmie's onion blooming on rocky, vernally moist slopes near the junction of Forest Roads 42 and 30, southeastern Big Summit Prairie, Ochoco National Forest.......May 13, 2018. Edith's checkerspots were nectaring upon the flowers of this plant during this visit.

Tolmie's onion blooming on scablands along Forest Road 3915 in the Bald Hills, Fremont-Winema National Forest......June 30, 2019.

Habitat view of Tolmie's onion as seen in vernally moist swales amongst Artemisia arbuscula and Artemisia cana along Forest Road #1647 in southeastern Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest.......June 3, 2011.

Additional close-ups of Tolmie's onion as seen in vernally moist swales along Forest Road #1647 in southeastern Logan Valley, Malheur National Forest...........June 3, 2011. Note that the ovaries lack crests or prominent processes, the stamens are about 3/4 the length of the tepals, the scapes are about one-half the length of the leaves. The leaves and scapes are somewhat flattened.

The photo at left shows Allium tolmiei as seen from the Wallowa-Whitman N.F., northwest of Enterprise, OR..........May 30, 1999. The photo at right shows Tolmie's onion blooming on scablands near the old Cold Springs Guard Station east of Big Summit Prairie, Ochoco National Forest.......May 19, 2017.