Allium 2009

[Janis Ruksans]

Thanks Janis. I don't suppose anyone has any ideas?

It is some of Iranian, I suppose. Sorry, haven't time now for identifying what by picture only is quite difficult. What is origin?
Janis

[Sinchets]

It is possible the mix up is mine. I have had several other Iranian Alliums, including some which were bought as Allium aff. ____ .
Maybe when the rest flower I will be able to sort out which is which. This plant has 4 huge leaves at ground level, with the flower head sitting in between these.
Simon

[Sinchets]

Thanks Carlo. Janis, I just checked in 'Bulbs' by Phillips and Rix, my Allium bodeanum is the same as the pic they have of A.bodianum. Which leaves me unsure as to which spelling is correct as a search for A.bodianum online gets less hits than A.bodeanum. I was also wondering if maybe the plant in cultivation as A.bodeanum (and the one pictured in the book) is a different selection or a different species masquerading as it.

[Afloden]

Here are some Allium blooming or just past with me here in east Tennessee.

 First is Allium perdulce, Barton Co., KS, exceedingly sweet scented like a mix between the old regular pink bubblegum and Dianthus. This starts flowering the last week of March here and continued until the first few days of 80F in Late April. It is a very small plant not more than 15cm tall.

 Then, Allium canadense fraseri, McPherson Co., KS, which has a light sweet fragrance probably only noticeable to those with sensitive noses and has pure white flowers in small umbels. This blooms between perdulce and canadense lavandulare which should start in the next two weeks.

 Then Allium drummondii, from Cloud Co., KS. This is not really the most attractive form of this species which seems very easy to grow even without a dry summer rest. The more southern forms can be pink with red midribs. The scent of the flowers is somewhat like cabbage and corned beef.

 Then Allium umbilicatum from Iran ex (Maybe Gotenburg?). This took three years from seed to flower and is now going string with over 5 flowering stems from two original bulbs. The flowers are nicely fragrant also. The plant has been very tolerant to summer moisture and excessive winter moisture.

 Aaron Floden

[Janis Ruksans]

Thanks Carlo. Janis, I just checked in 'Bulbs' by Phillips and Rix, my Allium bodeanum is the same as the pic they have of A.bodianum. Which leaves me unsure as to which spelling is correct as a search for A.bodianum online gets less hits than A.bodeanum. I was also wondering if maybe the plant in cultivation as A.bodeanum (and the one pictured in the book) is a different selection or a different species masquerading as it.

By Flora Iranica
A. bodeanum is close to christophii with pale greyish flowers perigonium saepe fere album - not violet at all as in picture of Peter Sheasby in Bulbous Plants of Turkey and Iran., smaller in size but flower head are not sitting between leaves. Its leaves are hairy (scabrido-ciliatis)  - (not so hairy as on plant pictured by me in Iran, so I'm not 100% sure that this hairy leafed is bodeanum, but that from Arvaz is 100%), it is very close to christophii with shorter stem (scapo breviore, 10-20 cm longo in speciminibus spontanei). Possibly the same as christophii only form of it (by Wendelbo).
Janis

[Sinchets]

Thanks Janis. Maybe in some past confusion a plant was being grown as A.bodeanum in Britain (or western Europe) and this is the plant I bought, as well as the plant pictured in 'Bulbs' by Phillips and Rix. This plant, which looks exactly like mine, is stated as being collected by Ann Ala south of Karadj. I found in the literature online, that A.bodeanum is also listed as a synonym for A.christophii and A.albospathum. This adds to the confusion.

[Janis Ruksans]

Thanks Janis. Maybe in some past confusion a plant was being grown as A.bodeanum in Britain (or western Europe) and this is the plant I bought, as well as the plant pictured in 'Bulbs' by Phillips and Rix. This plant, which looks exactly like mine, is stated as being collected by Ann Ala south of Karadj. I found in the literature online, that A.bodeanum is also listed as a synonym for A.christophii and A.albospathum. This adds to the confusion.

Albispathum is synonim of christophii. If christophii and bodeanum are the same - then correct name is bodeanum by priority rules. From gardeners viewpoint they are different - christophii large, bright, easier. Bodeanum more difficult (I lost original plants from Arvaz in pre-greenhouse period), less colorfull and something smaller.
Janis

[Sinchets]

I guess that follows the usual rule of selection from the wild. Maybe the 'A.christophii' type was selected because it was large and showy, but the 'A.bodeanum' type was overlooked for being less colourful.
I suppose it is also possible that A.christophii could be a very old and stabilised hybrid found in some parts of the A.bodeanum range.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Flowering today:
Allium karataviense henrikii
Allium bodeanum
Allium elburzensis
Allium shelkovnikovii

Wonderful onions Simon ! 

The A. karataviense henrikii is the one that struck me most !

[Sinchets]

Thanks Luc, I have Janis to thank for the A.karataviense henrikii 
It is one of the few Alliums visitors to the garden notice and no-one believes me when I say it is an onion.

[David Nicholson]

Could anyone ID this Allium for me please. It's been in the garden for a few years now and was a freebie bulb with a gardening magazine. Leaves quite floppy and stem about 30cm.

[ashley]

It looks like A. neapolitanum to me David.

[David Nicholson]

It does too Ashley, many thanks for that.

[Lvandelft]

David, to make it easy for you, Allium zebdanense is a possibility too.
They smell the same...
What I know is that bulbs of A. neapolitanum are more roundish.

[David Nicholson]

Mmmm Luit! I think I might have remembered the name of Allium zebdanense (or at least remembered that it sounded something like Zebadee! ) when I got the original bulbs.