SafePlants

Allium tuolumnense: The Rawhide Hill Onion

Allium tuolumnense, commonly known as the Rawhide Hill onion, is a rare species of wild onion.

Considerations for Pets

• Mentions of "onion" are present, and onions are known to be potentially harmful to some animals.

Considerations for Children

• This plant grows from a bulb.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Allium tuolumnense (Ownbey &amp Aase) S. Denison &amp McNeal
• Common Name: Rawhide Hill onion
• Synonyms: Mentions Allium aaseae Ownbey &#8211 South Idaho onion, Aase&#39s onion

Distribution and Habitat

• This onion is found in the Red Hills of Tuolumne County, California.
• It also occurs in small colonies throughout the Red Hills.
• Additionally found in the Rawhide Hills, a mountain range in Mineral County, Nevada.
• Occurrences have been noted on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands.

Morphological Characteristics

• It's a perennial herb that grows from a reddish-brown bulb each spring.
• It is a forb/herb (a non-woody plant that is not a grass)
• It mainly has a spring and summer development, with the aerial part dying back during the coldest months.

Ecological Role

• It's a rare plant that occurs in small colonies.
• It is found in an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

Flowering and Blooming

• Typically blooming from April to May.

Associated Species

• Found with California vervain (Verbena californica), Kelso Creek monkeyflower (Mimulus shevockii), Layne's butterweed, Congdon's lomatium, and Red Hills soaproot.

Quirky Facts

• The plant's presence in the Red Hills is humorously compared to the old mining cry, "Thar's gold in them thar hills," suggesting that the plant is a treasure of the region.

Additional Information

• Discover Life has a page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Allium tuolumnense.
• The USDA is also mentioned.
• It is proposed for threatened status.