Taxon Report

Allium howellii Eastw. var. clokeyi Traub

Mt. Pinos onion

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Allium howellii var. clokeyi, commonly known as Mt. Pinos onion, is a perennial bulbiferous herb in the Alliaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Great Basin scrub, Meadows and seeps (edges), and Pinyon and juniper woodland, growing at elevations from 1300 to 1850 meters. Allium howellii var. clokeyi is ranked 1B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Allium howellii Eastw. var. clokeyi Traub
Common Name:	Mt. Pinos onion
Family:	Alliaceae
Element Code:	PMLIL02161
USDA Plants Symbol:	ALHOC
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial bulbiferous herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	1300-1850 (4265-6070)
General Habitats:	Great Basin scrub, Meadows and seeps, Pinyon and juniper woodland
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.3
Global Rank:	G3G4T2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_SBBG; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	25
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	2
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	21

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Kern (KRN), Los Angeles (LAX)?*, San Bernardino (SBD), Santa Barbara (SBA), Ventura (VEN)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Apache Canyon (3411973), Ballinger Canyon (3411984), Black Mtn. (3411867), Cuddy Valley (3411971), Frazier Mtn. (3411878), Harrison Mtn. (3411722), Hurricane Deck (3411977), Lake Arrowhead (3411732), Liebre Mtn. (3411866), Lockwood Valley (3411961), Rancho Nuevo Creek (3411964), Reyes Peak (3411963), San Guillermo (3411962), San Rafael Mtn. (3411967), Tehachapi North (3511824), Tehachapi South (3511814), Wheeler Springs (3411953)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	4	16 %
ORV activity	3	12%
Wood cutting or brush clearing	1	4%
Development	1	4%
Grazing	1	4%

Notes



Threatened by mining, road maintenance, and vehicles. Possibly threatened by grazing and trampling.
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 9 May 2025].