Common name: Onion Weed
Nothoscordum gracile (Aiton) Stearn APNI* Synonyms: Nothoscordum inodorum (W.T.Aiton) G.Nicholson APNI*
Description: Erect herb, 45–105 cm high; bulb 15–20 mm diam.; bulblets numerous.
Leaves 2–10, 19–23 cm long, 2–9 mm wide, with 17–20 longitudinal veins, sheathing for less than a tenth of scape.
Umbel loose, few-many-flowered; scape 40–100 cm long; pedicels 21–45 mm long; spathe distinctly 2-lobed, overlapping at base, with pale red/brown markings, persistent, less than half as long as pedicel. Flowers fragrant. Perianth narrow-conical; tepals 8–12 mm long, acute, white with pale green to brown markings along midvein. Stamens included; filaments 7–8 mm long.
Capsule 7–8 mm long.
Flowering: September–December
Distribution and occurrence: A widespread and common weed in gardens, difficult to eradicate as the bulblets are easily dislodged. Native of S America but widely naturalised in Australia, Asia, Europe and Africa.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *CT, *ST, *NWS, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *LHI
Other Australian states: *Vic. *Tas. *S.A. *W.A.
Another name used recently for this taxon is N. borbonicum but that seems to be a misapplication of that name.
Text by D. C. Godden (1993); edited KL Wilson (May 2012)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993); Stearn (1986) Taxon 35:335-338.
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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