Taxon Report

Allium munzii (Traub) D. McNeal

Munz's onion

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Allium munzii, commonly known as Munz's onion, is a perennial bulbiferous herb in the Alliaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland, and Valley and foothill grassland, growing at elevations from 297 to 1070 meters. Allium munzii is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Allium munzii (Traub) D. McNeal
Common Name:	Munz's onion
Family:	Alliaceae
Element Code:	PMLIL022Z0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ALMU6
Synonyms/Other Names:	Allium fimbriatum Wats. var. munzii Traub

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial bulbiferous herb
Blooming Period: Mar-May	Mar-May
Elevation:	297-1070 (975-3510)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, Pinyon and juniper woodland, Valley and foothill grassland
Microhabitat:	Clay, Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	CT
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	21
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	5
Good (B)	7
Fair (C)	4
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	4

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Riverside (RIV)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Alberhill (3311764), Bachelor Mtn. (3311751), Lake Elsinore (3311763), Lake Mathews (3311774), Romoland (3311762), Steele Peak (3311773), Wildomar (3311753), Winchester (3311761)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	13
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	14	67 %
Development	10	47%
Non-native plant impacts	9	42%
Road/trail construction/maint.	7	33%
Grazing	6	28%
ORV activity	3	14%
Agriculture	3	14%
Mining	3	14%
Disking	2	9%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	4%
Improper burning regime	1	4%
Other	1	4%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	4%
Wood cutting or brush clearing	1	4%

Notes



Cleveland NF has adopted species management guidelines.
Threats:
Threatened by development, clay mining, agriculture, grazing, vehicles, and non-native plants.
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 8 November 2025].