Oriental onion
Allium orientale
Family: Amaryllidaceae
What it is like
An onion family plant. A bulb plant. It grows to 30 cm high. The bulbs are 15 mm across. The leaves are not more than 2.5 cm wide. The flowers are white or pale lilac with a green mid vein in the tepals. The ovary is dark blackish-green. It opens in a star shape. It occurs in half round heads.
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 grows in warm temperate places. It grows naturally on limestone hills and slopes and rocky places between 600 - 1870 metres in Turkey.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mediterranean, Turkey, Türkiye
How it is used for food
The bulbs are eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. The flowers are used raw.
Edible parts
Flowers, leaves, root, bulb
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed or by dividing the clumps.