Relatives

Allium oreophilum C.A.Mey. - Mountain-loving Onion.

Taxonomic position.

Family Alliaceae J.Agardh, genus Allium L.

Synonyms.

Allium platystemon Kar. et Kir., A. ostrovskianum Regel

Morphology and biology.

Perennial. Geophyte. Bulbous. Bulb solitary, ovoid-globous, 1-1.5 cm diameter, with grey papery tunics. Scape 5-20 cm tall, at 1/2-3/4 covered with leaf sheaths hidden underground. Leaves 2, linear, 2-8 mm wide, scabrous at margins, longer than scape. Umbel semispherical or spherical, few-flowered, rather lax. Pedicels subequal to each other, without bracts at base. Tepals of broadly campanulate perianth 8-11 mm long, pink-purple with dark vein, oval, obtuse or more often acutish. Filaments 2-3 times shorter than tepals, at 1/2 fused together and with perianth, outer ones triangular-lanceolate, inner ones broadly triangular. Style not protruding from perianth. Autochore. Flowers in July - August, fruits in August - September.

Distribution.

Caucasus (Dagestan), Central Asia (Dzungarian Alatau, Tien Shan, Pamir-Alai).

Ecology.

Photophilous. Debris slopes in upper montane zone.

Use and economic value.

Wild relative of cultivated onions.

References:

Vvedensky AI. 1935. Onion - Allium L. In: Komarov VL., ed. Flora URSS. V.4. Moscow; Leningrad: AN SSSR. P.164. (In Russian).
Schreder RR., ed. 1941. Flora of Uzbekistan. V.1. Tashkent. 568 p. (In Russian).

© I.G.Chukhina

© Photo by N.V.Friesen