Nodding Onion or Allium cernuum
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The Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum) is a most attractive wild onion. Its tepal colouration varies from white through all shades of pink from very pale to a dark purplish pink, which is most common. It is native to a broad swath of both Canada and the United States as well as northeastern Mexico. It is also reportedly naturalized in parts of the British Isles, where it is sometimes called Ladies' Leeks.
However, the claim that Allium cernuum is a larval host plant for an always unspecified hairstreak butterfly is suspect, though it does seem to be listed often by people who must only have repeatedly copied the information.
If it is a larval food plant for some species of Hairstreak (Lycaenidae), I would like to see more information about which butterfly species is involved and where and when this was documented. Perhaps, the original claim was about this Allium being used as a nectar source, though that too is only speculation.
The British Natural History Museum Lepidopteran Larval Host Plant database only lists two Lepidopteran known to use Allium cernuum, both Noctuid moths (Noctuidae): Schinia snowi (syn: Schinia rosea), and the Yellow-striped Armyworm (Sporoptera ornithogalli). Furthermore, only one Lycaenid butterfly (Lycaenidae) is reported to use any species of Allium as a larval food plant.
That is the Pomegranate Playboy Hairstreak (Deudorix livia) native to Africa.
However, the claim that Allium cernuum is a larval host plant for an always unspecified hairstreak butterfly is suspect, though it does seem to be listed often by people who must only have repeatedly copied the information.
If it is a larval food plant for some species of Hairstreak (Lycaenidae), I would like to see more information about which butterfly species is involved and where and when this was documented. Perhaps, the original claim was about this Allium being used as a nectar source, though that too is only speculation.
The British Natural History Museum Lepidopteran Larval Host Plant database only lists two Lepidopteran known to use Allium cernuum, both Noctuid moths (Noctuidae): Schinia snowi (syn: Schinia rosea), and the Yellow-striped Armyworm (Sporoptera ornithogalli). Furthermore, only one Lycaenid butterfly (Lycaenidae) is reported to use any species of Allium as a larval food plant.
That is the Pomegranate Playboy Hairstreak (Deudorix livia) native to Africa.
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Some other information about the plant that may or may not be true,
it's thought that the city of Chicago gets it's name from the Algonquin Indian name for this plant, "chigagou".
it's thought that the city of Chicago gets it's name from the Algonquin Indian name for this plant, "chigagou".
I've heard that etymology for Chicago. It would have been wonderful to have seen the moist and flowery meadows of Chigagou.
Thinking about what wild Chicago must have once looked like reminds me of one of the most amazing botanical mysteries ever.
Thismia americana is/was a minutely small, mycoheterotrophic plant, in the Family Burmanniaceae, that was only ever found in one location near Lake Calumet on the Chicago's southside. It was only seen and collected a few times from 1914 to 1916, before it disappeared to never be seen again, despite many attempts to relocate it. Of course, the habitat around Lake Calumet has been completely destroyed by 'progress'. In fact, it is now a proposed Superfund clean-up site.... At least some of the Indiana Dunes are still nearby, and definitely worth a visit.
What makes this rare find and sad loss even more remarkable is that it is the only species of Thismia ever found in North America. It's nearest relatives occur either in Panama and South America, or in Asia, Australia and some western Pacific islands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thismia_americana
Thinking about what wild Chicago must have once looked like reminds me of one of the most amazing botanical mysteries ever.
Thismia americana is/was a minutely small, mycoheterotrophic plant, in the Family Burmanniaceae, that was only ever found in one location near Lake Calumet on the Chicago's southside. It was only seen and collected a few times from 1914 to 1916, before it disappeared to never be seen again, despite many attempts to relocate it. Of course, the habitat around Lake Calumet has been completely destroyed by 'progress'. In fact, it is now a proposed Superfund clean-up site.... At least some of the Indiana Dunes are still nearby, and definitely worth a visit.
What makes this rare find and sad loss even more remarkable is that it is the only species of Thismia ever found in North America. It's nearest relatives occur either in Panama and South America, or in Asia, Australia and some western Pacific islands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thismia_americana
Yes, would have been nice to see those "moist and flowery meadows" as you've described them! Also what fascinating information about the existence of and subsequent disappearance of Thismia americana. With a Thismia Hunt for the missing plant being held yearly since 1991, it would be remarkable if it were to be discovered again, but not at all likely and for the reasons you've mentioned.