Relatives

Allium tytthocephalum Schult. & Schult. fil. - Small-headed onion.

Taxonomic position.

Family Alliaceae J.Agardh, genus Allium L.

Synonyms.

Allium senescens var. brevipedunculatum Regel

Morphology and biology.

Perennial. Geophyte. Bulbous. Bulbs narrowly conical or subcylindrical, covered with blackish scarious tunics, arranged by 1-2 on horizontal rhizome. Scape up to 15-25 cm tall, straight, winged in upper part. Leaves 1-2 mm wide, semicylindrical, channelled, scabrous at margins, 2-4, somewhat shorter than scape. Umbel dense, few-flowered, semispherical. Pedicels slightly shorther than or as long as tepals, without bracts at the base. Tepals 5-6 mm long, purple, with a poorly distinct vein, ovate, obtuse, outer ones 1/4 shorter than inner ones. Filaments purple, slightly longer than tepals, entire, subulate, nearly equal to each other, at the very base fused with each other and with perianth. Style exserted from perianth.
Autochore. Flowers and fruits in late July - August. 2n=32.

Distribution.

Endemic to the mountains of South Siberiaи (Southern Altai, Sayans, Tuva).

Ecology.

Cryophyte. Photophilous. On debris mountain slopes in alpine montane zone.

Use and economic value.

Wild relative of cultivated onions.

References:

Friesen NV. 1988. Onion plants of Siberia. Novosibirsk: Nauka. P.111-113. (In Russian).
Malyshev LI., Peshkova GA., ed. 1987. Flora of Siberia. V.4. Araceae - Orchidaceae. P.77. (In Russian).
Vvedensky AI. 1935. Onion - Allium L. In: Komarov VL., ed. Flora URSS. V.4. Moscow; Leningrad: AN SSSR. (In Russian).

© I.G.Chukhina

© Photo by E.Chukhin