Allium L., Sp. Pl. 300. 1753; Gen. Pl. 5: 143. 1754; Boiss., Fl. Or. 5: 229-285. 1882; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 337-345.1894; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 24: 165; McNeal & Jacobsen, Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 26: 224; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org p. 1.

Perennial herbs usually bulbiferous. Bulbs solitary or clustered, bulbs covered by tunic, fresh bulbs with onion-leek or garlic-like odour. Leaves sessile with a closed leaf sheath at base, linear, linear-lanceolate or lorate (strap-shaped) to orbicular-ovate, cross section flat, angled or terete, fistulose or solid. Scape terminal or lateral, usually persistent, terete or flattened. Inflorescence a terminal umbel, sometimes with bulblets, enclosed in a spathe-like bract before anthesis. Pedicels with or without basal bracteoles. Flowers erect, hypogynous, usually bisexual. Perianth segments 6, in 2 equal whorls, free or fused at base into a tube at base, petaloid, 1-nerved, white to greenish white, yellow, violet, pink to reddish-purple or blue coloured. Stamens 6, included or exserted, filaments usually connate at base and adnate to perianth segments; filaments usually broad at base fused into a ring, linear, generally glabrous; anthers elliptic to oblong, dorsifixed. Ovary superior, 3-lobed, 3-locular, 1-many ovules per loculus, usually 2 ovules per loculus; style simple; stigma entire or 3-cleft. Capsule loculicidal. Seeds 6 or more, black, rhomboidal or spheroidal.

1063 species

Allium cepa L., Sp. Pl. 1: 300. 1753; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 6: 337.1894; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 24: 193; Fl. North Amer. @ eFloras.org 26: 244; Fl. Pak. @ eFloras.org

Bulbs solitary or clustered, globose or cylindric-ovoid, tunic papery, white to brownish or reddish. Leaves persistent, 4-10, sessile with a closed sheath at base, shorter than scape, cylindrical, linear or linear-lanceolate, fistular, terete in C.S., 5-20 mm wide. Scape present or not, if present, solitary, terminal, erect, up to 1 m long, stout, fistular, usually inflated below the middle, covered with leaf sheath only at base, persistent. Inflorescence a terminal umbel, umbel spherical, densely-flowered, sometimes with bulblets. Umbel enclosed in a spathe-like bract before anthesis, spathe 2- or 3-valved, ovate, +/- equal, apex acute to acuminate, persistent. Pedicels equal, ca. 5 times as long as perianth, (1-5 cm), bracteolate. Flowers stellate to campanulate, 3-7 mm, bisexual, actinomorphic, hypogynous, trimerous. Tepals 6, in 2 equal whorls, free or fused at base, petaloid, erect or spreading, white or chalk-white; perianth segments with green midrib, oblong-ovate, 4-5 mm x ca. 2 mm, margin entire, apex obtuse or acute; outer ovate, inner oblong. Stamens 6, exserted in 2 whorls; filaments equal, slightly longer than perianth segments, connate at base for 1/5 their length, adnate to perianth segments for 1/2 of connate part; outer ones subulate; inner ones broadened at base. Ovary superior, subglobose, 3-lobed, 3-locular, usually 2 ovules per loculus; style linear, exserted, +/- equalling stamens; stigma simple. Capsule loculicidal with 3 or more seeds. Seeds black, rhomboidal or spherical.

×

❮ ❯