Semenov’s Onion
Status: VU. Endemic to the Inner Tien Shan.
Description. A perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, geophyte, xeromesophyte. Bulbs sit singly or in clusters on the rhizome, cylindrical, up to 1 cm in thickness, with poorly defined, almost net-like brownish sheaths. The stem is 10 - 40 cm tall, covered with smooth sheaths almost to the middle. Leaves are 2 - 3, broad-linear, 5 - 15 mm wide, not tubular, grooved, smooth. The spathe is short-pointed, approximately equal to the umbel, colored. The umbel is head-like, globular-ovoid. The outer flower stalks are unequal, significantly shorter than the perianth, the inner ones are slightly longer or equal to it, without bracts at the base. The tepals of the bell-shaped perianth are golden-yellow, later turning red, 10 - 15 mm long, unequal, lanceolate or elongated-lanceolate, tapered, sharp. The outer tepals are 1.5 times longer than the inner ones, sharp, more or less serrated. The filaments of the stamens are 3 - 4 times shorter than the outer tepals, fused at the base with them by 1/2, and among themselves by 3/4. The inner tepals of the perianth are twice as wide, with two teeth. The style has three stigmas, not protruding from the perianth. The capsule is almost three times shorter than the perianth.
Biological features. Flowers in June-July; fruits in August.
General distribution and in the country. Inner and Central Tien Shan.
Habitat. Alpine meadows in the highland zone, saddles, and grassy slopes of western and northern exposures.
Population. No data.
Limiting factors. Human economic activities: spring grazing of livestock, collection of flowers, digging up bulbs.
Cultivation. No data.
Existing conservation measures. Not developed.
Recommended conservation measures. Establishment of botanical reserves in areas of highest species concentration, monitoring the status of populations. Prohibit the digging of bulbs and grazing of livestock.
Semenov’s Onion
Allium semenovii Regel
Status: VU. It is an endemic species spread in the Inner Tien Shan. It populates subalpine and alpine meadows in highlands, saddles, and soddy slopes of northern and western exposures. Flowering occurs in June - July, fruiting in August; reproduction and population numbers in nature are unknown. Limiting factors include human economic activity, such as cattle grazing in the spring, and the collection of flowers and bulbs. Recommended measures for preservation include the creation of special wildlife areas in sites with maximal concentration, prohibition of grazing during the spring, and prohibition of flower and bulb collection, along with monitoring efforts.
