Allium 2014

[Maggi Young]

Could SSSE be Sino-Scottish Szechuan expedition? 

Probably, Matt! Ian Christie will be able to tell us when he spots this.

[rgc]

At 63 + in the key, it states: "Perianth segments ovate or ovate-oblong, 6--10 mm, at least margin of inner ones irregularly denticulate; filaments usually 1/2--2/3 as long as perianth segments; style shorter than or subequaling ovary." Is the style of your plant longer (A. beesianum) or shorter (A. sikkimense) than the ovary? This might help sway you either way.

Hi Matt
The style is a lot longer than the ovary, so another pointer to A. beesianum. Thanks a lot for your help, it was really useful for you to highlight the points for me to to focus on. Also, doing the checking, has greatly improved my lousy botanical knowledge.
Bob

[Growild]

Hard to see for sure from the photo, but appears to have blunt tepals with the inner ones only denticulate and the stigma looks to be shorter than the ovary ... this could be the real A. sikkimense?? Apparently it is a variable species with several forms in cultivation.

That's what I was thinking Matt!? Just looked through my old photo's but I'm afraid I don't have any other clearer ones.

[Matt T]

That's what I was thinking Matt!? Just looked through my old photo's but I'm afraid I don't have any other clearer ones.

I think your existing pics probably allow a reasonable level of confidence in going with ID of A.sikkimense. Clearly, it has blunt tepals compared to the long pointy ones of your other plant (tentative A.yuanum). 

In this pic I've marked a flower to show the outer tepals with green arrows, with entire margins. Of the inner tepals marked in red, those I've labelled 1 and 2 are clearly denticulate.


We need to guess a bit as to where the base of the ovary may be, but assuming it is a long as it is wide,  the stigma (green) would be slightly shorter than the ovary (red) in this pic. In any case, it is definitely not 2 - 3 times as long as it would be in A.beesianum.

[Growild]

Hi Matt

Thank you for your efforts in trying to sort out the ID of these two. I shall post you some seeds of my A.sikkimense (A.yuanum) in due course (have your address on file from seed order).

[Matt T]

Thank you Lisa, that's very kind!
I enjoy these little puzzles, and now know what to look for when identifying small blue onions so it's a useful learning exercise 
Best wishes.

[Growild]

My last Allium to flower A.hookeri ACE2430

Hardly a showstopper but nice in its own way!

[Magnar]

I have had this Allium for many years. It is about 50 cm tall, flowering here in North Norway in the end of june. The label is long gone, so, suggestion for a name anyone? Please. Magnar.

[Oron Peri]

Magnar,

Looks like A. zebdanense

[Thomas Huber]

This Allium originates from Liguria/Italy - I found one corm flowering in October and thought
it might be Allium carinatum ssp pulchellum, which I had lost months ago. But A. carinatum is
flowering in summer while this one flowers in autumn even after two years in my garden.

Mark McD thought it might be an aberration, but it might also be a new Allium species.
Many of these autumn flowering plants were new described in the last months.
Maybe you have some new information now....

[Oron Peri]

Thomas
Difficult to see details such as leaves, bulb etc., still
looks to me like A. carinatum pulchellum syn.Allium coloratum
It is reported in Italy as flowering till September.

[Maggi Young]

Hmm, very nice onion - but you need to beware that BIG snail - he looks hungry.......

[Thomas Huber]

Hi Oron, thanks for your opinion - will try to make a photo of the leaves this evening.....

Found Allium coloratum in the Flora Italia (http://luirig.altervista.org/schedeit/ae/allium_coloratum.htm)
the flowers really look alike, but its still the flowering time that makes me doubtful (June-September)
my plant had colour until December last year....

Maggi no danger from the snail - it's a gentle one 

[Gerdk]

Flora Italia (http://luirig.altervista.org/schedeit/ae/allium_coloratum.htm)

Hi Thomas,
Most interesting link -  not only for the onions   
- thank you for showing it!

Gerd

[Rimmer de Vries]

Allium sacculiferum, blooming now in heavy damp clay soil.

this on came as Allium thunbergii DJH 272, it is taller and more globe like.
someone told me it was A. sacculiferum