Relatives

Allium altyncolicum Friesen - Altynkol chive.

Taxonomic position.

Family Alliaceae J.Agardh, genus Allium L.

Morphology and biology.

Perennial, herbaceous, bulbous plant. Grouped on the rhizome, elongated, ovate bulbs have grey, papery, almost leathery coats. Fistular stalk is 30-60 cm long. Leaves, 2-3 in number, are cylindrical, fistulose, shorter than the stalk. Umbel is hemispheric, polyanthous, with somewhat loose tissues. Pedicels are equal to or 1.5 times longer than the perianth. Tepals are 7-13 mm long, glossy, pale pink with a dark vein. Filaments are shorter than the perianth by 1/3. Blossoms in July, bears fruit in August. Entomophilous. Autochore. 2n=32.

Distribution.

Endemic to Altai. Grows along the shoreline of Teletskoye (Altynkol) Lake. Found on an island at the riverhead of Biya (3 km from Artybash Settlement). It is most likely that bulbs were transferred there from the shores of Teletskoye.

Ecology.

Mesophyte and petrophyte. Rubbly and pebbly lakeshores.

Utilization and economic value.

Used as a table (vegetable) plant and a source of vitamins. Closely related to a domesticated species (A. schoenoprasum L.); promising for commercial use.

References:

Friesen, N.V. 1988. Onions plants of Siberia. Novosibirsk: Nauka, p.157 (in Russian).

© Chuhina I.G.

Copyright on picture belongs to Egor Chukhin.