Taxon Report

Allium atrorubens Wats. var. cristatum (Wats.) D. McNeal

Inyo onion

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Allium atrorubens var. cristatum, commonly known as Inyo onion, is a perennial bulbiferous herb in the Alliaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Joshua tree "woodland", Mojavean desert scrub, and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1200 to 2560 meters. Allium atrorubens var. cristatum is ranked 4.3, Plants of Limited Distribution, A Watch List; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Allium atrorubens Wats. var. cristatum (Wats.) D. McNeal
Common Name:	Inyo onion
Family:	Alliaceae
Element Code:	PMLIL02063
USDA Plants Symbol:	ALATC
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial bulbiferous herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	1200-2560 (3935-8400)
General Habitats:	Joshua tree "woodland", Mojavean desert scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:	Rocky (sometimes), Sandy (sometimes)
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	4.3
Global Rank:	G4T4
State Rank:	S4
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	0
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY), Kern (KRN), Riverside (RIV), San Bernardino (SBD)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Ballarat (3611712), Bighorn Basin (3411576), Blanco Mtn. (3711842), Budweiser Wash (3411577), Centennial Canyon (3611737), Cerro Gordo Peak (3611757), Chocolate Mtn. (3711748), Cowhorn Valley (3711821), Crooked Creek (3711841), Deep Springs Lake (3711831), East Deception Canyon (3311683), East of Waucoba Spring (3711717), Emigrant Canyon (3611742), Fountain Peak (3411585), Hanging Rock Canyon (3711726), Jackass Canyon (3611755), Joshua Flats (3711728), Keeler (3611747), Last Chance Mtn. (3711736), Lone Pine (3611851), Mazourka Peak (3611881), Owens Peak (3511768), Santa Rosa Flat (3611746), Soldier Pass (3711738), Stovepipe Wells (3611752), Tecopa (3511672), Tinemaha Reservoir (3711812), Uhlmeyer Spring (3711822), Waucoba Mtn. (3711811), Waucoba Spring (3711718), Westgard Pass (3711832), White Top Mtn. (3611774)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	0
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	0	0 %

Notes



See Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 14:232 (1879) for original description.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 2 July 2025].