Allium 2010

[TheOnionMan]

I asked Dr. Reinhard Fritsch of Gatersleben about the Allium found in a vegetable market in India (link above) and he feels pretty sure it is Allium hookeri (also youir initial feeling Mark).  

He also told me that a preliminary version of a database presenting Gatersleben's taxonomic Allium collection is now available via the Internet:
http://www.ipk-gatersleben.de/databases/allium

Thanks Stephen, that's good to know about Dr. Fritsch's assessment of that vegetable allium, the instincts were right but not knowing to what degree there is variability, some aspects of the plant didn't seem right.

You might have missed my prior announcement above on the Gatersleben IPK link, see:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5766.msg173150#msg173150

[Stephenb]

Yes, I somehow missed a whole series of Allium posts there, despite checking in here most days...

Those shots by Yevgeny Belousov are out of this world - some of the best Allium pictures I've seen!! Re- A. fedtschenkoanum: have you ever seen seed of this one?

[TheOnionMan]

Yes, I somehow missed a whole series of Allium posts there, despite checking in here most days...

Those shots by Yevgeny Belousov are out of this world - some of the best Allium pictures I've seen!! Re- A. fedtschenkoanum: have you ever seen seed of this one?

There are more Alliums depicted on the CDrom that Yevgeny Belousov sells, must get particulars on how to buy the CD.  Many of his photos can be seen on the following Russian flora site:
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/search.html?part=0&sample=allium
Click on any of the photo links on the right of given species names, it helps to have Google Translate running.
Also be aware that there are some nomenclatural differences from what is generally accepted.

I was a lucky recipient of some Kazakhstan allium seed, this species included, along with the black-red incarnation A. atrosanguineum.  The seed was in very small lots (I think maybe 6 seeds on atrosanguineum) but with luck I can get these things going.  I believe Kurt Vickery has collected each of those species too, so keep an eye on his specialty seed list.

[Stephenb]

I've just received seed of A. eriocoleum from Kurt, but fedtschenkoanum and atrosanguineum were sadly not on the list..

[TheOnionMan]

Following up on my earlier post of a small allium from Mongolia with globular florets (http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5766.msg173263#msg173263), photographed by Panayoti Kelaidis on a trip to Mongolia in 2009, I am reposting the two photos here to more easily compare with a series of links showing 4 species (all related) that were under consideration for this onion's ID.  At first I thought it was A. mongolicum, but I'm quite certain it is A. vodopjanovae, a species described by Nikolai Friesen in 1995 splitting off this few-flowered form with semi-nutant flowers from A. mongolicum.  Do check out the Allium mongolicum links, why isn't this species in cultivation... it is the most common onion found growing over most of Mongolia, and really adorable in every way.

Allium bellulum
http://www.bioaltai-sayan.ru/regnum/pict-p/photo/Allium_bellulum_fot.jpg
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/69601.html

Allium mongolicum
species desc: http://greif.uni-greifswald.de/floragreif/?flora_search=Taxon&taxon_id=15
photo record: http://greif.uni-greifswald.de/floragreif/?flora_search=Image&record_id=13063
large image:  http://greif.uni-greifswald.de/floragreif/floragreif-content/Kr03/25-08-2003-IMG_0774.jpg
large image2: http://greif.uni-greifswald.de/floragreif/floragreif-content/Kr03/17-08-2003-IMG_0441.jpg
roots & bulb coats: http://greif.uni-greifswald.de/floragreif/?flora_search=Image&record_id=10313
http://www.bioaltai-sayan.ru/regnum/pict-p/photo/Allium_mongolicum_fot.jpg
http://www.bjkp.gov.cn/bjkpzc/tszr/zwdg/lsmy/211454.shtml

Allium vodopjanovae
http://www.bioaltai-sayan.ru/regnum/pict-p/photo/Allium_vodopjanovae_fot.jpg

Allium vodopjanovae - zoomable herbarium specimen identified by N. Friesen 2008
http://greif.uni-greifswald.de/floragreif/wp-content/uploads/scan_B12-09/template.php?i=Alli-vodo-GFW-229_88

Allium tenuissimum
http://houmingfei.blogspot.com/2009/04/5_01.html

Update:  I have heard back from Dr. Nicolai Friesen, an expert in the genus Allium in such regions as Siberia and Mongolia, and he has confirmed that Panayoti's dwarf pink-flowered Mongolian Allium is A. vodopjanovae.

[arillady]

Could I please know if Allium henrikii is known by another name. A kind forumist sent me seed and Australia Quarantine has seized them as they are not on the permitted seed list.

[Otto Fauser]

Could I please know if Allium henrikii is known by another name. A kind forumist sent me seed and Australia Quarantine has seized them as they are not on the permitted seed list.

                Pat , the correct name for Allium henrikii is A. karataviense ssp . henrikii . A. karataviense is on our permitted list and as a recent act of our Parliament moved that a subspecies of a permitted species is also allowed into the country you should have no problem to have your seed released .
 However , good news : Marcus Harvey's new list is at the Printers at the moment and he has a few bulbs for sale . He and Susan are staying with me until tomorrow morning - in case you want to ring me -us tonight .

 cheers  otto.

[TheOnionMan]

Here is another allium species photographed in Mongolia by Panayoti Kelaidis in 2009.

This allium is surely A. amblyophyllum (platyspathum ssp. amblyophyllum), a species very close to A. carolinianum (among its synonyms are varieties of A. platyspathum, such as A. platyspathum Schrenk var. falcatum Regel), and also close to A. hymenorrhizum.

Allium carolinianum is not recorded for Mongolia, although A. hymenorrhizum is.

Allium amblyophyllum
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/27709.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/17930.html
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/24368.html
...photo showing whole plant, and tapered leaf petioles
http://www.plantarium.ru/page/image/id/3178.html

Update:  I have heard back from Dr. Nicolai Friesen, an expert in the genus Allium in such regions as Siberia and Mongolia, and he has identified Panayoti's Mongolian Allium as A. platyspathum. 

[arillady]

Thanks so much Otto for the details - I have replied separately to Marcus.
I will ring AQIS this afternoon and see how I go.

[arillady]

I just rang AQIS, quoted the reference, said that henrikii is a ssp of Allium karataviense. She looked it up a list while I waited. Then she said that as it is a part parcel it has to go to head office to be sent on to me. She will get it marked urgent.
I am still reeling in surprise and utter amazement after I did so much work to get all the references etc together and to be told a simple OK. Sometimes things can just slip into place so well. Started my day off on a really positive note.

[TheOnionMan]

I often sow Allium seed in late fall or early winter, but I was surprised to see very quick germination on two species, A. obliquum and A. pseudoflavum.  I didn't expect germination this early, nor do I want germination now, as surely many or most of the seedlings will not persist once the real winter temperatures arrive.  I don't have a greenhouse nor coldframe, so I'm debating whether to bring these two flats to my basement windowsill for the winter.  Thanks to the forumists who shared this seed with me.

[Onion]

Marc,

have the same problem. Germination of seeds from sowing season 2009(Autumn)/2010(Spring). Put them on the windowswill in a unheated room.

[TheOnionMan]

Update:  remember the Allium species from the Caucasus, collected by Magnus Aspaker, a nice pink and white one that has been getting around... StephenB reminded me I was going to see if Dr. Reinhard Fritsch had any ideas about that one, see the diagnostic photos by forumist Arisaema here:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=5766.msg159787#msg159787

I sent off the photos recently to Dr. Fritsch, here's what he reports:
"Concerning the plant from Caucasus, Mr. Jaeger from Giessen (Germany) sent us pictures of the same taxon collected in Georgia, valley of Aragwi river. Some characters are  intermediate between A. kunthianum and A. karsianum, but the presence of bulbils in the inflorescence is strange. Mariam Agababian was also not sure about the identity."

I have uploaded the two photos; they do indeed look similar, although in our subject plant from Magnus, looking at Arisaema's photo, in the 2 photos of the inflorescence, I can't tell if I'm seeing bulbils in the dark shadows there, or just more buds... I'm going to assume they are bulbils.

[fermi de Sousa]

I've had two new alliums come into flower for the first time and I'm hoping for some confirmation of names!
The first is Allium heldreichii; a cutie at only 15 cm (6")


And the next came as Allium amethystinum from the AGS Seedex 2005. It's quite tall at over 75cm (3') and quite a deep colour




cheers
fermi

[Johan Nilson]

Hi all Allium friends,

Thanks a lot for all the great pictures and all the very interesting information you are sharing here.

I hope that someone could help me identify this Allium species which the first picture attached shows.

I has got some characters of Allium wallichii, but with much broader leaves (I think). I don't know what the flowers look like. It was growing on a steep west facing slope at 4200 meters in north Sikkim..

The second picture shows Allium wallichii

Pictures where taken in northern Sikkim at the end of September.

thankful for any thoughts..


Johan