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Chinese chive, garlic chives, oriental garlic

victory onion

Bulbs

1–3, borne on stout, ± horizontal rhizome, elongate, cylindric or conic, 0.5–1.5 × 0.7–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, reticulate, cells ± fine-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats white, cells closely parallel, elongate.

1–several, attached to ± oblique rhizome, cylindric-conic, 5–6 × 1–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown to grayish brown, reticulate, cells fine-meshed, open, ± fibrous;

inner coat white to light brown, not appearing cellular, 10–18-veined, veins prominent, parallel.

Leaves

withering from tip by anthesis, 2–5, sheathing scape to ± soil level;

blade solid, flat, carinate abaxially, 20–40 cm × 2–6 mm, margins entire.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–3, sheathing proximal 1/3–1/2 scape;

blade solid, flat, narrowly lanceolate to broadly elliptic, 10–20 cm × 15–90 mm, base evidently petiolate, margins entire;

petiole 1–20 cm.

Scape

persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 30–50 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, terete distally, 2-edged proximally, 30–70 cm × 2–3 mm.

Umbel

persistent, erect, loose, 20–50-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 1–3, 3–7-veined, lance-ovate, shorter than pedicel, apex acuminate.

persistent, erect, loose, 20–35-flowered, hemispheric, bulbels unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 1–2, 3–6-veined, lanceolate to ovate, ± equal, apex obtuse, nearly beakless.

Flowers

substellate, 4–9 mm;

tepals spreading, white with green or brownish midveins, lanceolate to elliptic, ± equal, withering and exposing capsule, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen white;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel 10–30 mm.

stellate, 4–5 mm;

tepals spreading, white or greenish white, outer lanceolate, inner narrowly ovate, ± equal, reflexed in age, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acute or obtuse;

stamens exserted;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crestless;

style exserted, linear, equaling stamens or longer;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened;

pedicel 10–30 mm.

Seed

coat shining;

cells smooth, irregularly shaped, with ± sinuous walls.

coat not known.

Allium tuberosum

Allium victorialis

Phenology Flowering Jul–Aug. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Roadsides and other disturbed ground Rocky areas
Elevation 0–30 m (0–100 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
IA; NE; WI; se Asia [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AK; e Asia
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Allium tuberosum is cultivated in China, Siberia, and North America, and is reported to be established in New England. It may escape anywhere the species is cultivated.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Allium victorialis is found in North America only on Attu Island, where it is reported to be native, and on Unalaska Island, where it is reported to be introduced from Attu Island. Within this species, various subspecies and varieties have been described, but, as circumscribed, they are not clearly distinct. The North American plants have been known as subsp. platyphyllum, but until the variation within this widespread species can be worked out along natural lines, recognition of infraspecific taxa seems pointless.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 240. FNA vol. 26, p. 234.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Allium Liliaceae > Allium
Sibling taxa
A. aaseae, A. abramsii, A. acuminatum, A. ampeloprasum, A. amplectens, A. anceps, A. atrorubens, A. bigelovii, A. bisceptrum, A. bolanderi, A. brandegeei, A. brevistylum, A. burlewii, A. campanulatum, A. canadense, A. cepa, A. cernuum, A. columbianum, A. constrictum, A. coryi, A. cratericola, A. crenulatum, A. crispum, A. cuthbertii, A. denticulatum, A. diabolense, A. dichlamydeum, A. dictuon, A. douglasii, A. drummondii, A. elmendorfii, A. falcifolium, A. fibrillum, A. fimbriatum, A. fistulosum, A. geyeri, A. gooddingii, A. haematochiton, A. hickmanii, A. hoffmanii, A. howellii, A. hyalinum, A. jepsonii, A. kunthii, A. lacunosum, A. lemmonii, A. macropetalum, A. macrum, A. madidum, A. membranaceum, A. monticola, A. munzii, A. neapolitanum, A. nevadense, A. nevii, A. nigrum, A. obtusum, A. oleraceum, A. paniculatum, A. parishii, A. parryi, A. parvum, A. passeyi, A. peninsulare, A. perdulce, A. platycaule, A. plummerae, A. praecox, A. punctum, A. rhizomatum, A. robinsonii, A. rotundum, A. runyonii, A. sanbornii, A. sativum, A. schoenoprasum, A. scilloides, A. serra, A. sharsmithiae, A. shevockii, A. simillimum, A. siskiyouense, A. speculae, A. stellatum, A. textile, A. tolmiei, A. tribracteatum, A. tricoccum, A. triquetrum, A. tuolumnense, A. unifolium, A. validum, A. victorialis, A. vineale, A. yosemitense
A. aaseae, A. abramsii, A. acuminatum, A. ampeloprasum, A. amplectens, A. anceps, A. atrorubens, A. bigelovii, A. bisceptrum, A. bolanderi, A. brandegeei, A. brevistylum, A. burlewii, A. campanulatum, A. canadense, A. cepa, A. cernuum, A. columbianum, A. constrictum, A. coryi, A. cratericola, A. crenulatum, A. crispum, A. cuthbertii, A. denticulatum, A. diabolense, A. dichlamydeum, A. dictuon, A. douglasii, A. drummondii, A. elmendorfii, A. falcifolium, A. fibrillum, A. fimbriatum, A. fistulosum, A. geyeri, A. gooddingii, A. haematochiton, A. hickmanii, A. hoffmanii, A. howellii, A. hyalinum, A. jepsonii, A. kunthii, A. lacunosum, A. lemmonii, A. macropetalum, A. macrum, A. madidum, A. membranaceum, A. monticola, A. munzii, A. neapolitanum, A. nevadense, A. nevii, A. nigrum, A. obtusum, A. oleraceum, A. paniculatum, A. parishii, A. parryi, A. parvum, A. passeyi, A. peninsulare, A. perdulce, A. platycaule, A. plummerae, A. praecox, A. punctum, A. rhizomatum, A. robinsonii, A. rotundum, A. runyonii, A. sanbornii, A. sativum, A. schoenoprasum, A. scilloides, A. serra, A. sharsmithiae, A. shevockii, A. simillimum, A. siskiyouense, A. speculae, A. stellatum, A. textile, A. tolmiei, A. tribracteatum, A. tricoccum, A. triquetrum, A. tuberosum, A. tuolumnense, A. unifolium, A. validum, A. vineale, A. yosemitense
Synonyms A. victorialis subsp. platyphyllum
Name authority Rottler ex Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 2: 38. (1825) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 295. (1753)
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