Fragrant onion, Chinese leek
Allium ramosum

Family: Amaryllidaceae

What it is like

An onion family plant. It is a bulb plant. The bulbs occur in clusters. The skin is dull yellow to yellow brown. It has a netlike appearance. The leaves are narrow. They are 1.5-8 mm wide and 3 angled. The scape is 25-60 cm long. It is covered with the leaf sheaths only at the base. The flower head is half round. The flowers are white with red stripes.

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 climate plant. It grows in sunny hill pastures between 500-2100 m altitude in N China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Central Asia, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia, Siberia

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten raw or used to flavour other foods. They are boiled in soups.

Edible parts

Flowers, leaves, root, bulb

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bawang kuchai, Chinese chives, Fragrant-flowered garlic, Ganda, Gau choi fa, Gogd, Heger-e in gogud, Kechai, Shan jiu cai, Ye jiu, Zherlig gogd

Synonyms

Allium lancipetalum Y.P.Hsu; Allium odorum L.; Allium potaninii Regel; Allium tartaricum L.f.; Allium weichanicum Palibin; and others