Blue onion
Allium caesium

Family: Amaryllidaceae

What it is like

An onion family herb. It has one bulb. This is oval and 1-2 cm across. There are brown or violet bulbils at the base, There are 2 or 3 leaves. These are 1-3 mm wide. They have a channel along the top. The stalk is 15-65 cm long.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in deserts and dry pastures between 700-2,000 m above sea level in western China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Sikkim, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

How it is used for food

Edible parts

Bulbs

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Zhi mu xie

Synonyms

Allium aemulans Pavlov; Allium azureum Bunge [Illegitimate]; Allium caeruleum Stschegl. [Illegitimate]; Allium renardii Regel; Allium urceolatum Regel;