Allium cernuum Roth
Nodding onion
Nodding onions are North American native plants.
Plants: 1–1½′ (30–45 cm) tall. They have a characteristic onion odor. Onions are members of the lily family.
Leaves: long narrow grass-like leaves about a foot in length and 1/16–⅛″ (2–4 mm) in width. A rosette of leaves at the base of the plant is vase-shaped.
Flowers: Each flowerhead tilts or nods, a result of a small crook near the top of the stem, hence the common name. Flowers are bell-shaped, about ⅛″ (5 mm) in size, and white or pink. Flowers appear from June to August.
Fruits: Flowers become spherical fruits with crests. When dry, they split to release dark shiny seeds.
Habitats: Mountainous regions, in deciduous woodlands and open grasslands.
Edibility: Technically edible, but too strongly flavored to be eaten.
Online References:
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 6 × 7″ (16 × 16 cm) 
6/17/2012 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 3½ × 5″ (9.2 × 13 cm) 
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 5 × 6″ (13 × 15 cm) 
8/1/2009 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (14 × 9.9 cm) 
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 8 × 9″ (19 × 22 cm) 
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 6 × 7″ (15 × 17 cm) 
8/1/2009 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 2′ (55 × 62 cm) 
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 11 × 12″ (28 × 31 cm) 
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 6 × 8″ (15 × 19 cm) 
8/30/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 9 × 8″ (22 × 20 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Liliopsida | Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family |
| Subclass | Liliidae | Includes lilies, orchids, and many others |
| Order | Asparagales | A diverse group that includes asparagus |
| Family | Amaryllidaceae | Amaryllis family—plants that grow from bulbs. Includes onions and many others |
| Genus | Allium | Onions, leeks, shallots, garlic, scallions, etc. |
| Species | cernuum | Means "dry seed head" |
Allium cernuum description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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