Advances in New Alliums

The genus Allium L., Amaryllidaceae includes numerous economically important vegetables used primarily for their unique flavors. Most people recognize the main vegetable alliums, such as bulb onion and shallot (A. cepa), garlic (A. sativum), leek (A. ampeloprasum var. porrum), and chive (A. schoenoprasum). However, there are numerous cultivated vegetable alliums of more regional importance, including kurrat (A. ampeloprasum var. kurrat) which is eaten as a pickled leaf primarily in Egypt, elephant garlic (A. ampeloprasum var. holmense), rakkyo (A. chinense), and Chinese chives (A. tuberosum) (Jones and Mann 1963). Other minor use Allium species were thoroughly listed by Fenwick and Hanley (1985). Alliums are also cultivated as ornamentals. Well known to gardeners are A. gigantheum, A. aflatunense, and A. caesium, which are prized for their large umbels and many brilliantly colored flowers. Wild and less well-known alliums offer potential as perennial ornamentals, including A. unifolium, A. moly, or A. schubertii. Japanese researchers at the Hokkaido Agricultural Experiment Station have collected these and other unique alliums towards the goal of developing new and beautiful ornamentals.