Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ally sterile. Alliums that normally produce seed (leeks, for instance) can produce bulbils when they are
under stress.
A thorough process of selection is important for all alliums. Remove plants with atypical leaves or
those that flower early as soon as possible. Propagate only true-to-type bulbs, bulbils, or topsets.
Overview of the onion family
COMMON NAME
BOTANICAL NAME
onion
Allium cepa
var.
cepa
shallot
Allium cepa
var.
aggregatum
topsetting onion, tree onion
Allium
×
proliferum
Japanese bunching onion, Welsh onion
Allium fistulosum
leek
Allium ampeloprasum
var.
porrum
pearl onion
Allium ampeloprasum
var.
sectivum
chives
Allium schoenoprasum
garlic
Allium sativum
garlic chives
Allium tuberosum
Insects like to visit onion flowers. Seen here is
Eumenes pomiformis
(potter wasp).
ONION
Allium cepa
var.
cepa
Vegetable or seasoning? Depending on the variety, the common onion is either the former, the latter, or
both. The complex flavor of the onion is a combination of sweet, pungent, and spicy, caused primarily
by essential oils, especially allyl sulfide compounds and alpha hydroxy acids. Available in markets
year round, onions are a crop that many gardeners grow every year. They are natural antibiotics thanks
to the organosulfur compound allicin, which also has anti-fungal properties and is purported to
strengthen the immune system. Onions are diverse in shape and also color: they can be red-violet,
