Allium mobilense Regel

Mobile Onion; Pink Wild Onion

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Mobile Onion is a native herbaceous perennial in the Onion family (Alliaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama. Mobile Onion occurs in sandy open woods, on rock outcrops, in prairies, and on roadsides. It is a perennial from a bulb. The bulb is ovoid with a fibrous outer coat. Each bulb produces 1-6 flat, linear, entire, glabrous leaves. The leaves may be present at flowering or may be withered. The bulb and leaves have an onion odor when crushed. Flowers are produced in an umbel on a solitary, erect scape that is longer than the leaves. The umbel has 15-50 flowers and no bulblets. Individual flowers have 6 pale pink to white tepals. The flowers are fragrant. The fruit is a papery capsule with triangular black seed. The ovary and capsule are not crested. Plants go dormant after flowering. Mobile Onion is sometimes placed as a variety of Common Wild Onion (Allium canadense Linnaeus). It differs from that species in flower color, flowering time, habitat, and by not having some or most of the flowers replaced by bulblets. Mobile Onion is edible but has a stronger flavor than the Garden Onion (Allium cepa Linnaeus). Some people experience gas and stomach cramps after consuming wild onions, especially if eaten in quantity.--A. Diamond

Commonly recognized as a var. of Allium canadense but seems sufficiently distinct to be recognized as a species. The inflorescences of Allium mobilense never include flowers replaced by bulbils. Allium canadense always have some flowers replaced by bulbils. Habitats of the two species also seem distinct.

Native

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