See List of Allium species
Allium is the onion genus with about 1250 species, mostly classified in its own family Alliaceae. Some botanists used to classify it in the lily family (Liliaceae).
They are perennial bulbous plants. They occur in temperate climates of the northern hemisphere, except for a few species occurring in Chile (as Allium juncifolium), Brazil (Allium sellovianum) or tropical Africa (Allium spathaceum ). They can vary in height between 10 cm and 1.5 m. The flowers form an umbel at the top of a leafless stalk. The bulbs can vary between very small to rather big and form little bulbs around the old one.
Its members include many valued garden herbs including onions, garlic, leeks and chives.
The strong "oniony" odor is characteristic of the whole genus but not all members are equally flavorful and some species are troublesome weeds.
Species
See : List of Allium species
The most important species are :
- Allium acuminatum: Tapertip Onion
- Allium ampeloprasum: Broadleaf Wild Leek
- Allium anceps: Twinleaf Onion
- Allium angulosum: Mouse Garlic
- Allium ascalonicum: Shallot
- Allium atrorubens: Darkred Onion
- Allium campanulatum: Dusky Onion
- Allium canadense: Meadow Garlic ; Wild Garlic ; Wild Onion
- Allium cepa: garden onion
- Allium kurrat: Egyptian Leek
- Allium neapolitanum: White Garlic, Daffodil Garlic, Flowering Onion
- Allium nevii: Nevius' Garlic
- Allium nigrum: Black Garlic
- Allium oleraceum: field garlic
- Allium porrum: Garden Leek
- Allium ramosum: Chinese Chives , Fragrant-flowered Garlic
- Allium sativum: Cultivated Garlic
- Allium schoenoprasum: Chives Wild Chives; cive; schnittlaugh
- Allium triquetrum: Threecorner Leek ; Three-cornered Leek
- Allium tuberosum: Chinese Chives ; Garlic Chives; Oriental Garlic
- Allium ursinum: Wild Garlic or Ramsons
- Allium vineale: Wild Garlic ; Crow Garlic; Stag's Garlic
Source
GardenWeb's Hortiplex Database 2003-11-16
External links
Section Herbal information
Section Eclectic herbal information
Section Homeopathic information
- Allium cepa (all-cep.) "Kent's Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica" by Dr Robert Séror
- Allium cepa "A Primer of Materia Medica for practitioners of Homœopathy" by Timothy Allen
