Allium stipitatum | |
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'Mount Everest' | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Amaryllidaceae |
Subfamily: | Allioideae |
Genus: | Allium |
Subgenus: | Allium subg. Melanocrommyum |
Species: | A. stipitatum |
Binomial name | |
Allium stipitatum | |
Synonyms [3] | |
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Allium stipitatum, Persian shallot, [4] is an Asian species of onion native to central and southwestern Asia.
Some sources regard Allium stipitatum and A. hirtifolium as the same species, [3] while others treat A. stipitatum and A. hirtifolium as distinct. [5] Allium stipitatum in the more inclusive sense occurs in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. [3]
The epithet stipitatum means 'with a little stalk' referring to the ovary. [6]
Allium stipitatum grows from bulbs, 3 to 6 cm in diameter, which have blackish, paper-like tunics. The 4–6 basal leaves are broad, green to greyish green in colour, and variably hairy. The leaves are normally withered by the time the bulb flowers. Flowers are borne on stems which are 60–150 cm (24–59 in) tall and arranged in an umbel (a structure where the individual flowers are attached to a central point). The umbels are some 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) in diameter, relatively small compared to the tall stems, hence the description 'drumstick allium'. Individual flowers, of which there are many, are a typical allium shape, with a superior ovary and six tepals of a lilac to purple colour, around 2.5 to 5 cm long; white forms are known.
Plants grow on rocky slopes and in fields at elevations of 1,500–2,500 m (4,900–8,200 ft). [5] [7] It is a typical 'drumstick allium', with a more-or-less spherical umbel on a tall stipe, and as such has often been confused with other similar species. [6]
Bulbs of Allium stipitatum are eaten in Iran, where they are called موسیر (pronounced /muːˈsiːɾ/). They grow wild across the Zagros Mountains. [4] Most of those eaten are harvested from the wild, sliced, dried, and sold at markets. Buyers will often soak the shallots for a number of days then boil them to obtain a milder flavour. They are often crushed and mixed with yogurt. Iranians enjoy yogurt in this way, especially in restaurants and kebab-saras where just kebabs are served.[ citation needed ]
Iranian plants are among those referred to as A. hirtifolium, when distinguished from A. stipitatum. [8]
Mathew describes this species as "stately", and the easiest to grow of the tall alliums, flowering in about four years when grown from seed. [7] In keeping with the wild habitat of the species, when grown for ornament, well-drained, sunny conditions are recommended. [5] Care is needed in placing all the drumstick alliums, since their withered leaves are unattractive at flowering time. Davies notes that "as a bonus numerous offsets are produced"; [6] this has the potential to make the species invasive when grown in borders.
The cultivars 'Mount Everest' [9] and 'Violet Beauty' [10] have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Allium stipitatum is used as a medicinal plant in Central Asia. Extracts of the bulbs of the plant, which showed activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis , were found to contain several pyridine-N-oxide derivatives. Analysis of the cut plant using a mass spectrometer equipped with a DART ion source showed the presence of N-hydroxypyridine-2-thione, also known as pyrithione, a compound which is moderately cytotoxic toward human tumour cell lines, and highly active against fungi and Gram-negative bacteria. Pyrithione-containing plant extracts are used in herbal medicine for treatment of malaria. Zinc pyrithione is used in commercial anti-dandruff shampoos. [11] [12] [13] [14]
The shallot is a cultivar group of the onion. Until 2010, the shallot was classified as a separate species, Allium ascalonicum. The taxon was synonymized with Allium cepa in 2010, as the difference was too small to justify a separate species.
An onion, also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classified as a separate species until 2011. Its close relatives include garlic, scallion, leek, and chive.
Allium tricoccum is a bulbous perennial flowering plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae. It is a North American species of wild onion or garlic widespread across eastern Canada and the eastern United States. Many of the common English names for this plant are also used for other Allium species, particularly the similar Allium ursinum, which is native to Europe and Asia. An edible plant, Allium tricoccum is used in a variety of North American and indigenous cuisines, and has also been used by Native Americans in traditional medicine. A French rendering (chicagou) of a Native American name for this plant is the namesake of the American city of Chicago.
Allium vineale is a perennial, bulb-forming species of wild onion, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and the Middle East. The species was introduced in Australia and North America, where it has become a noxious weed.
Allium ampeloprasum is a member of the onion genus Allium. The wild plant is commonly known as wild leek or broadleaf wild leek. Its native range is southern Europe to southwestern Asia and North Africa, but it is cultivated in many other places and has become naturalized in many countries.
Allium sphaerocephalon is a plant species in the Amaryllis family known as round-headed leek, round-headed garlic, ball-head onion, and other variations on these names. Drumstick allium is another common name applied to this species. Some publications use the alternate spelling Allium sphaerocephalum. It is a bulbous herbaceous perennial plant.
Allium neapolitanum is a bulbous herbaceous perennial plant in the onion subfamily within the Amaryllis family. Common names include Neapolitan garlic, Naples garlic, daffodil garlic, false garlic, flowering onion, Naples onion, Guernsey star-of-Bethlehem, star, white garlic, and wood garlic.
Allium caeruleum is an ornamental bulbous plant of the onion genus, native to Central Asia. In these regions, it is found on dry slopes, plains, and steppes.
Allium unifolium, the one-leaf onion or American garlic, is a North American species of wild onion. It is native to the coastal mountain ranges of California, Oregon, and Baja California. It grows on clay soils including serpentine, at elevations up to 1100 m.
Allium fibrillum is a North American species of wild onion known by the common names Blue Mountain onion and Cuddy Mountain onion. It is native to the northwestern United States from eastern Washington and Oregon through Idaho to Montana. It is a perennial herb.
Allium macrostemon, Chinese garlic, Japanese garlic or long-stamen onion, is a species of wild onion widespread across much of East Asia. It is known from many parts of China, as well as Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Tibet and Primorye. It has been collected from elevations ranging from sea level to 3000 m.
Allium hollandicum, the Persian onion or Dutch garlic, is a species of flowering plant native to Iran and Kyrgyzstan but widely cultivated as an ornamental because of its umbels of attractive purple flowers. It is reportedly naturalized in Saint Louis County, Minnesota.
Allium rhynchogynum is a Chinese species of wild onion endemic to the Yunnan region in southern China. It grows at elevations of 2700–3200 m.
Allium thunbergii, Thunberg's chive or Thunberg garlic, is an East Asian species of wild onion native to Japan, Korea, and China. It grows at elevations up to 3000 m. The Flora of China recognizes A. tunbergii and A. stenodon as separate species, but more recent sources combine the two.
Allium carinatum, the keeled garlic or witch's garlic, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. It is widespread across central and southern Europe, with some populations in Asiatic Turkey. It is cultivated in many places as an ornamental and also for its potently aromatic bulbs used as a food flavoring.
Allium commutatum is a species of Mediterranean onions in the amaryllis family. Its native range extends from Corsica and Algeria to Turkey. It has also been introduced to northern Argentina.
Allium flavum, the small yellow onion or yellow-flowered garlic, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Allium. A bulbous herbaceous perennial, it is native to the lands surrounding the Mediterranean, Black, and Caspian Seas, from France + Morocco to Iran + Kazakhstan.
Allium insubricum, the Lombardy garlic, is a species of flowering plant endemic to the Lombardy region in northern Italy. It is named for Insubria, the ancient name for the area around present-day Milan. The species is, however, widely cultivated as an ornamental because of its striking flowers. Its locus classicus is located in Canzo.
Allium schubertii, which has various common names including ornamental onion, flowering onion, tumbleweed onion and Persian onion, is a species of monocotyledonous flowering plant. It belongs to the onion and garlic genus, in the subfamily Allioideae of the family Amaryllidaceae. It occurs in the Levant and Libya.
Allium is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants with hundreds of species, including the cultivated onion, garlic, scallion, shallot, leek, and chives. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic, and the type species for the genus is Allium sativum which means "cultivated garlic".
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