Allium carolinianum

Family: Amaryllidaceae

What it is like

An onion family plant. A bulb plant. The bulbs are usually in pairs. They are 1-2.5 cm across. The covering is brown to yellowish brown and leathery. It grows to 40 cm high and 12 cm across. The leaves are broadly linear. They are 5-15 mm wide. They are flat and smooth. The scape is 20-40 cm long. It is covered with leaf sheaths for 1/2 its length. The flower head is round and dense with many flowers.

There are about 300-700 Allium species. Most species of Allium are edible (Flora of China). All alliums are edible but they may not all be worth eating! They have also been put in the family Alliaceae.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally in the Himalayas from Afghanistan to Nepal on stony slopes between 3000 - 4500 metres. In China it grows on gravely or stony slopes between 3000-5000 m altitude in W China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Afghanistan, Asia, Bhutan, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, NW India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Tibet, Uzbekistan

How it is used for food

The bulbs are eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. They are also dried and used in curries and pickles. The flowers are used raw or to flavour salads. The leaves are crushed and dried cakes made out of this mass then stored for later use.

Edible parts

Flowers, leaves, roots, bulb

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or by division of clumps. Bulbs should be planted fairly deeply.

Its other names

Local names

Farn, Ghra pyoz, Ghra yazza, Jangli ganda, Jangli peyaz, Jangli poloond, Jangli pyaz, Jangli wasal, Khokhai, Khush, Ladam, Laodh, Ogai, Rasgokpa, Stokche, Sukoche, Wozza

Synonyms

Allium aitchisonii Baker (1882) not Regel (1879); Allium obtusifolium Klotzsch; Allium platyspathum Schrenk var. falcatum Regel; Allium platystylum Regel: Allium polyphyllum Karelin & Kirilov; Allium thomsonii Baker; Allium blandum Wall.;