Allium
(from all, meaning hot or burning; in allusion to the well-known properties of the Onion tribe). Including Porrum, Schoenoprasum. ORD. Liliaceoe. Hardy bulbous plants, with flat or terete radical leaves, and capitate or umbellate flowers, enclosed in a membranous spathe at the summit of a slender, naked, or leafy scape; perianth spreading or campanulate. They are of very easy culture, increasing rapidly by offsets. The little bulbs, which are produced in clusters, may be separated and re-planted, in autumn or early spring, about 4in. deep. Seeds are also easily obtainable. These may be sown thinly in light soil, in February or March, where they should remain until the autumn or following spring, when they may be transplanted to their flowering situations. During the growing season, all the attention required will be to keep the plants free of weeds, and place stakes to the tall-growing kinds.
A. acuminatum (taper-pointed).* fl. deep rose, 1/2in. to 1in. across, in many-flowered umbels. July and August. l. rather shorter than the stems, very narrow, only about a line wide. h. 6in. to 10in. North-West America, 1840. A. a. rubrum (red). fl. deep red-purple; in other respects like the type. California.
A. ascalonicum (Eschallot). fl. purple; umbels globose; scape rounded. Summer. l. subulate. h. 9in. Palestine, 1546. For culture, see Shallot. A. azureum (sky-blue.)* fl. deep sky-blue, with e? dark line through the middle of each division; umbels dense, globular, longer than the spathes which envelop them before expanding. Summer. l. triangular, from 6in. to 12in. long. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Siberia, 1830. One of the handsomest species grown. A. Bidwelliae (Mrs. Bidwell's).* fl. bright rose, about 1/2in. across in few-flowered umbels. July. l. narrow, rather longer than the stem. h. 2in. to 3in. Sierra Nevada, 1880. A very charming little species for the rockery. A. Breweri (Brewer's).* fl. deep rose, nearly or quite 1in. across, in few-flowered umbels. July. l. much longer than the flowerstem, 1/4in. or more broad. h. 1in. to 3in. California, 1882.
A. Cepa (common Onion). fl. white; scape ventricose, longer than the leaves. June, July. l. fistular, rounded. h. 3ft. For culture, see Onion. A. C. aggregatum. Aggregated, Tree, or Potato Onion. See Onion. A. coeruleum (blue-flowered).* fl. blue, in large compact globular heads. June. H. 8in. Russia, 1840. Very distinct.
A. Douglasii (Douglas'). Synonymous with A. unifolium. A. Erdelii (Erdel's). fl.white, keeled with green, in compact umbels. h. 6in. Palestine, 1879. A rare but pretty species, and should be planted in a warm position on the rockery.
A. falcifolium (sickle-leaved).* fl. pale rose, 1/2in. to 3/4in. across, in few-flowered umbels. August. l. two in number, thick, broadly linear, falcate. h. 2in. to 3in. North-West America, 1880.
A. falciforme (sickle-formed). Probably a variety of A. unifolium, with pure white flowers, in several-flowered umbels. h. 6in. California, 1882. A. flavum (gloden). fl. yellow, bell-shaped, and somewhat drooping, in pretty umbels; scape leafy at the base. l. round, not hollow, flattish above the base. h. about 1ft. Italy, 1759. A slender species.
A. fragrans. See Nothoscordum.
A. karataviense (Karatavian). fl. white, in dense globose heads. May. l. very broad, flat, glaucous, sometimes variegated. h. 6in. Turkestan, 1878. A. Macnabianum (MacNab's).* fl. deep magenta, a colour quite unique in this family, in large umbels. l. nearly as long as the stem, channelled, about 1/4in. broad. h. 1ft. North America.
A. magicum (enchanting). Synonymous with A. nigrum.
A. Moly (Moly).* fl. bright yellow, numerous, in compact umbels. Spring l. few, broadly lanceolate. Stem sub-cylindrical. h. 10in. to 15in. South Europe, 1604. A very old favourite; bright-flowered and very fine in masses. A. Murrayanum (Murray's).* fl. rosy purple, in large heads. l. narrow, longer than the stem. h. 1ft. North America. A good variety of A. acuminatum. A. mutabile (changeable). fl. white, changing to rose, in many-flowered umbels. July. l. shorter than the stem, narrow, channelled. h. 12in. to 24in. North America, 1824.
A. neapolitanum (Neapolitan).* fl. white, with green stamens, numerous, in a loose umbel, on stems exceeding the leaves in length; pedicels much longer than the flowers. Early summer. l. two or three, sheathing the flower stem, strap-shaped, about 1in. across. h. 15in. to 18in. South Europe, 1823. Probably the most ornamental white-flowered species. A. nevadense (Sierra Nevada). fl. white, or pale rose, about 1/2in. across, in several-flowered umbels. July. l. flat, rather longer than the stem, about 1/4in. wide. h. 3in. to 6in. Sierra Nevada and Utah, 1882. A. nigrum (blackish).* fl. dull violet, or whitish, with a green vein, very numerous, in a large umbel. Summer. l. thick, broadly lanceolate, acute, ciliated, toothed at the edges, at first erect and glaucescent, afterwards green and spreading, much shorter than the stem. h. 2 1/2ft. to 3 1/4ft. South of Europe. Very vigorous and free flowering. SYN. A. magicum. A. paradoxum (wonderful). fl. white, gracefully pendulous, borne on long footstalks springing from little nests of yellow bulbils. Spring. l. one or two, as long as the scape, linear-lanceolate, acute, keeled, striated, smooth, 1/4in. broad, drooping and recurved. h. 9in. to 14in. Siberia, 1823. A. pedemontanum (Piedmont).* fl. rosy-purple, large, bell-shaped, in large, graceful drooping clusters. July. l. lanceolate, shorter than the stem. Piedmont, 1817. A neat little plant for rockwork, or warm border. One of the handsomest species grown.
A. reticulatum (netted). fl. varying from pink to white. Summer. l. narrow, or almost filiform, shorter than the stem. h. 9in. to 15in. North-West America, 1882. A rare species.
A. r. attenuifolium (attenuate-leaved).* This may be regarded as an extremely handsome white-flowered variety. North-West America. A. roseum (rose-coloured).* fl. pale lilac-rose, large, in umbels of ten or twelve; stems round, rather longer than the leaves. Summer. l. strap-shaped, channelled, rolled in wards at the top, not hairy. h. 12in. to 16in. South Europe, 1752.
A. sativum (cultivated). Garlic. fl. white; umbel bulbiferous. Summer. l. flat. h. 1 1/2ft. Sicily, 1548. For culture, see Garlic. A. schoenoprasum (Rush-leaved Onion). Chives. fl. purple; umbel many-flowered, globose, without bulbils. June and July. l. cylindrical, somewhat tapering towards the point; stem with one leaf, or naked. h. 1ft. England. For cultivation, see Chives.
A. Scorodoprasum. Rocambole; Sand Leek. fl., perianth 1/3in. long, the segments red-purple, with white margins; head loose flowered, with purple bubils; scape slender. May to August l. 6in. to 8in. long, flat, keeled, the edges scabrid. h. 3ft. Europ (Britain), 1596. See also Rocambole. A. sphaerocephalum (globe-headed).* fl. densely packed in a subspherical head; in a bud state the upper ones are reddish-purple, the lower green. June. l. narrow, shorter than the long terete stems. h. 1 1/2ft. to 2 1/2ft. South Europe, 1759.
A. stramineum (straw-coloured). fl. yellow, in dense globular umbels. July. l. narrow, shorter than the stems. h. 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. Siberia. A. striatum (striated). See Nothoscordum.
A. triquetrum (three-cornered). fl. white, somewhat bell-shaped, with a narrow streak of pure green down each petal, in a loose, slightly drooping umbel, on erect triangular stems shorter than the leaves. Summer. l. green, broadly strap-shaped, keeled in a triangular manner, sometimes very long. h. 12in. to 18in. South Europe, 1789.
A. unifolium (one-leaved). fl. bright rose. July. h. 1ft. to 2ft. California, 1873. A handsome species, from California, resembling A. roseum, but differing from all known species by the circumstance that its bulbs are developed at a distance from each other, and are connected by a thread-like rhizome, 1/2in. to 1in. long. SYN. A. Douglassii.
A. ursinum (bear). Broad-leaved Garlic; Ramsons. fl. pure white, with acute perianth segments; umbel level at top; scape triangular. Summer. l. one or two, radical, ovate-lanceolate, stalked, large, bright green. h. 1ft. Britain. A. validum (strong). fl. pure white or rose-coloured, in large, rather drooping umbels. Summer. l. 1/4in. to 1/2in. broad, nearly as long as the stem. h. 12in. to 30in. Oregon and California, 1881. A pretty species. A. Victorialis (Victoria's). fl. greenish-white, in many-flowered, spicate umbels. May. l. broadly ovate-oblong, channelled, shorter than the stem. h. 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. Southern and Eastern Europe, 1739. Conspicuous from its broad leaves. Rare.