Allium
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| Missing image Alliumvineale1web.jpg Allium vineale Wild Garlic (Allium vineale) | ||||||||||||||||
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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 150 cm. 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.
Alium.jpg
Some species of alliums are bread for their architectural and bright purple flowers to be used as border plants. These include Allium christophii.
Its members include many valued garden herbs such as onions, shallots, 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.
Allium species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera including Garden Dart.
Nodding.jpg
Leeks.JPG
Species
See : List of Allium species
The most important species are :
- Allium acuminatum: Tapertip Onion
- Allium ampeloprasum: Broadleaf Wild Leek; Elephant Garlic; Leek; Kurrat
- 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 neapolitanum: White Garlic, Daffodil Garlic, Flowering Onion
- Allium nevii: Nevius' Garlic
- Allium nigrum: Black Garlic
- Allium oleraceum: field garlic
- 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 (http://hortiplex.gardenweb.com/plants/nph-ind.cgi?name=gw3000017&f=d&gl=2&p=1)
External links
Section Herbal information
- Allium sativa (Garlic) (http://www.herbmed.org/herbs/herb140.htm) HerbMed
- Garlic (http://www.healthy.net/library/books/hoffman/materiamedica/garlic.htm) Herbalist David Hoffmann @ Health World
- Garlic (http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11571.cfm?RecordID=412&tab=HC) Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre
- Garlic (http://www.mcp.edu/herbal/garlic/garlic.pdf) (pdf) Longwood Herbal Task Force
Section Eclectic herbal information
- Allium cepa (Onion) (http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/allium-cepa.html) King's American Dispensatory @ Henriette's Herbal
- Onion (Allium cepa) (http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/o/onion-07.html) Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com
- Allium sativum (Garlic) (http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/allium-sati.html) King's American Dispensatory @ Henriette's Herbal
- Garlic (Allium sativum) (http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/g/garlic06.html) Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com
- Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) (http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/chives65.html) Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com
- Onion, Potato (Allium cepa, var. aggregatum) (http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/o/onipot08.html) Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com
- Onion, Tree (Alliurn cepa, var. proliferum) (http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/o/onitre09.html) Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com
Section Homeopathic information
- Allium cepa (all-cep.) (http://www.homeoint.org/books3/kentmm/all-cep.htm) "Kent's Lectures on Homeopathic Materia Medica" by Dr Robert Séror
- Allium cepa (http://www.homeoint.org/books5/allenprimer/all-c.htm) "A Primer of Materia Medica for practitioners of Homœopathy" by Timothy Allenda:Løg (Allium)