Allium 2010

[TheOnionMan]

A first of many Iranian alliums in flower now: Allium noeanum is a rather small plant with flowers approx. 2 cm in diameter.
As with many Iranian species naming is not easy, so not 100% certain about its ID.

Luc, good looking Allium!  Sorry about the late return to this thread, been very busy with "Epimedium season" and an endless string of warm, breezy, beautiful spring days that capture my attention outdoors all day long.  But Allium season is gearing up here too, so will shift focus 

In addition to the whole-plant view, the detail views really help.  Comparing the details to the description in Flora of Turkey (exact same description as in Flora Iranica), your plant seems to fit A. noeanum in most aspects.  The only aspect that seems in question; you mention the "flowers approx. 2 cm in diameter", are you saying the inflorescence is 2 cm in diameter, or the individual florets are that size?  If the inflorescence, that seems rather small.  The species has tepals ~ 1 cm long, and unequal pedicels to 3.5-7 cm in length, which even at the smaller end of that range, such pedicel lengths would create a much larger head of bloom.  Did the pedicels expand much in later anthesis?  The floras report the flowers are sweetly scented (rare for Floras to take note of such things), and you mention there is no scent. 

With A. noeanum found in Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq, it is likely the species is variable.  I can ask Dr. Fritsch for his opinion, hopefully he'll forgive my few weeks of email deliquency.

Luc, I think you're correct about the image of this species in Van Flora web site, the photo psoted of A. noeanum is clearly the wrong species, the species description is identical to those in the aforementioned Floras, but they goofed up on the image.
http://vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr/flora/famgenustur/li/al/no/index.htm

[TheOnionMan]

Two more Iranian species from the "allium akaka" group :
  Allium haemanthoides
  Allium elburzense

Both are beauties Luc, although I find your A. elburzense particularly striking, the first photo really captures the beauty of the species.  In both A. haemanthoides and A. elburzense, they seem to match the species description in Flora Iranica, but as always, there are a couple of small exceptions where details don't quite match, so once again, I would like to pass these along to Dr. Fritsch for his opinion.  In A. haemanthoides, the anthers are described as violet, whereas they are white in your plant (comparing with Peter's photos, it is hard to tell because of the focus problem, but in the second photo they look whitish).  In A. elburzense, the flower color is described as purplish but lacking a description of the midvein color, and in your plant flowers are white with striking, dark midveins giving a striped look to the flowers.  But these are small differences, they could easily be within the range of variability for each species.

[TheOnionMan]

Two forms I have of A haemanthoides, one from Janis and one I grew from seed. also A minutiflorum from Janis, also A zebdanense, allium akaka and elburzense are not yet out for me

Peter, I see that you are an "allium guy" too

Regarding A. minutiflorum, I believe this is one that Dr. Fritsch mentioned is incorrecly identified.  Janis: did Dr. Fritsch suggest what species your A. "minutiflorum" might really be?

Peter, does your A. zebdanense make much seed.  Mine seems 99% sterile, barely making any seed, but occasionally a small amount of seed does appear and I might get a few self-sown seedlings.  This is my experience with growing it for over 30 years.

[TheOnionMan]

Allium jesdianum ssp. angustitepalum

Arnold

Arnold, one of the best, and shorter than some of the big and tall "globe types"... I like the slender purple tepals accented with white stamens.  I had three different forms of A. jesdianum, including ssp. angustitepalum, but they have been slowly disappearing and in decline, sometimes showing leaves but no flowers.  Probably time to replenish my stock.

[TheOnionMan]

An allium from Turkey raised from Archibald seed. Allium colchicifolium, related to A. orientale and A. kharputense, has 2 broad basal leaves with hemisphaerical umbels of yellowish-white flowers on 15-20cm stems.

I think this is my favorite of all those you've posted recently, the black ovaries are striking against the white and green flowers.  The species description is even more problematic, so loosely defined that it surely doesn't record the range of variability.  In fact, the species description in both Flora of Turkey and Flora Iranica fail to mention the dark ovary color, which it shares in common with the two allied species you mention (orientale and kharputense), and others such as A. asclepiadeum.  In the recent publication of new species in Iran by Dr. Fritsch, he discusses the "A. colchicifolium alliance", and goes on to describe three new species emerging from the ill-defined "colchicifolium", namely A. bisotunense, A. keusgenii, and A. moderense.  Your plant isn't any of those, so is better aligned with A. colchicifolium.
http://www.sid.ir/en/VEWSSID/J_pdf/80220080201.pdf

After all that, your A. colchicifolium remains a beauty  , there's no denying that!

[TheOnionMan]

And two Iranian species also raised from seed:
  Allium caspium from the same section Kaloprason as A. schubertii and A. protensum but dwarfer
  Allium shelkovnikovii from section Acanthoprason with even a white seedling !

Luc, you grow so many great alliums of the Acanthoprasum section, real beauties they are... most of mine are just seedlings.  It seems however, on the first species that it is probably not A. caspium, as the head is too compact and dense, although it is possible for young plants to show a more compact head as compared to more mature plants.  Flower color is described as dingy greenish-violet or rarely whitish; your plant has bright pink flowers.  I scanned a black and white image from Flora Iranica showing a herbarium specimen of Allium caspium, and it shares with allied species A. protensum and A. bucharicum those extra long pedicels (up to 15 cm) to make a huge effuse inflorescence up to 30 cm across.  Not sure which species your plant is, but here again, I shall ask Dr. Fritsch for an opinion.

Your A. shelkovnikovii looks correct... nice that you got a white one too.

[TheOnionMan]

After A. paradoxum var. normale, the first of the Alliums to bloom here each year, the second is Allium zebdanense.  The first photo shows it growing in full sun at early anthesis.  In sun it will flower earlier and go over more quickly, often with the foliage turning yellow after a couple days in early retreat to dormancy, whereas those grown in shade or part shade will flower later, last longer, and maintain the attractive narrow arching green foliage much longer.  Nearly sterile in the form I grow, it'll occassionally makes a bit of seed and a few welcome seedlings show up. 

Photos 2-3 were taken in my friend's garden, where a marvelous moss and lichen covered outcrop serves as backdrop to a fine stand of thus showy allium growing in a mostly shaded location.

[TheOnionMan]

First of the Acanthoprasum allium are beginning here, and judging from my 10 year photo records, I'm in need of doing some propagation and replanting to reinvigorate declining plants.  Large clumps of A. karataviense 'Ivory Queen' have all but disappeared, although they are cheap enough to buy a fresh supply in the fall.

1-2  Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' - the cultivar name given before var. henrikii was published, but evidently they are the same.  These two photos show this really attractive form in the garden now, the leaf and flower size smaller than in previous years.

3     Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' in 2008

4     Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' in 2000, with foliage of other karataviense color forms in background.

5     Allium species aff. ellisii, at early anthesis.

[PeterT]

Two forms I have of A haemanthoides, one from Janis and one I grew from seed. also A minutiflorum from Janis, also A zebdanense, allium akaka and elburzense are not yet out for me

Peter, I see that you are an "allium guy" too

Regarding A. minutiflorum, I believe this is one that Dr. Fritsch mentioned is incorrecly identified.  Janis: did Dr. Fritsch suggest what species your A. "minutiflorum" might really be?

Peter, does your A. zebdanense make much seed.  Mine seems 99% sterile, barely making any seed, but occasionally a small amount of seed does appear and I might get a few self-sown seedlings.  This is my experience with growing it for over 30 years.

I think Seed from last year has germinated - i will check for you but will be away untill wednesday
Peter

[PeterT]

First of the Acanthoprasum allium are beginning here, and judging from my 10 year photo records, I'm in need of doing some propagation and replanting to reinvigorate declining plants.  Large clumps of A. karataviense 'Ivory Queen' have all but disappeared, although they are cheap enough to buy a fresh supply in the fall.

1-2  Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' - the cultivar name given before var. henrikii was published, but evidently they are the same.  These two photos show this really attractive form in the garden now, the leaf and flower size smaller than in previous years.

3     Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' in 2008

4     Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' in 2000, with foliage of other karataviense color forms in background.

5     Allium species aff. ellisii, at early anthesis.

I like your ellisii and I had guessed that henrikii was the same as Red Globe and a fine plant it is too

[LucS]

A first of many Iranian alliums in flower now: Allium noeanum is a rather small plant with flowers approx. 2 cm in diameter.
As with many Iranian species naming is not easy, so not 100% certain about its ID.

In addition to the whole-plant view, the detail views really help.  Comparing the details to the description in Flora of Turkey (exact same description as in Flora Iranica), your plant seems to fit A. noeanum in most aspects.  The only aspect that seems in question; you mention the "flowers approx. 2 cm in diameter", are you saying the inflorescence is 2 cm in diameter, or the individual florets are that size?  If the inflorescence, that seems rather small.  The species has tepals ~ 1 cm long, and unequal pedicels to 3.5-7 cm in length, which even at the smaller end of that range, such pedicel lengths would create a much larger head of bloom.  Did the pedicels expand much in later anthesis?  The floras report the flowers are sweetly scented (rare for Floras to take note of such things), and you mention there is no scent. 

With A. noeanum found in Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq, it is likely the species is variable.  I can ask Dr. Fritsch for his opinion, hopefully he'll forgive my few weeks of email deliquency.

Luc, I think you're correct about the image of this species in Van Flora web site, the photo psoted of A. noeanum is clearly the wrong species, the species description is identical to those in the aforementioned Floras, but they goofed up on the image.
http://vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr/flora/famgenustur/li/al/no/index.htm

Mark,
The inflorescence measured about 2cm in diameter at the time I took the picture. After that it has elongated to approx. 4cm in diameter.
The time I checked the scent, the flower was almost 2 weeks old, so it is possible that the scent had fainted.

[LucS]

First of the Acanthoprasum allium are beginning here, and judging from my 10 year photo records, I'm in need of doing some propagation and replanting to reinvigorate declining plants.  Large clumps of A. karataviense 'Ivory Queen' have all but disappeared, although they are cheap enough to buy a fresh supply in the fall.

1-2  Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' - the cultivar name given before var. henrikii was published, but evidently they are the same.  These two photos show this really attractive form in the garden now, the leaf and flower size smaller than in previous years.

3     Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' in 2008

4     Allium karataviense 'Red Globe' in 2000, with foliage of other karataviense color forms in background.

5     Allium species aff. ellisii, at early anthesis.

Mark,
All beauties that I like.
Your A. aff. ellisii is very close to what I have as A. ellisii. I have posted a picture of my plant some two years ago I think.

[Regelian]

OK, I need some opinions.  The first fotos are of an Allium that I received some years ago as A. rosenbachianum.  I have since been informed that this would be incorrect.  I don't know, but....  The emerging leaves are always carmin tipped, which the seedlings are not.

In any case, I have quite a few seedlings in the area which are of similar colour, but are most likely hybrids with A. hollandicumPurple Sensation (or similar, as I am unsure if mine are PS!  They were from the garden centre and the flower is much lighter than the seedlings).  What do you all think?

Attached are fotos for your perusal.  Some are less well focused, due to the high winds this morning...or my unsteady hand.

aff. rosenbachianum- emerging leaves
aff. rosenbachianum-bud
aff. rosenbachianum-flower
hybrid-1 bud opening
hybrid-3 bud opening
hybrid-4 flowers
h<brid-2 bud

[TheOnionMan]

OK, I need some opinions.  The first fotos are of an Allium that I received some years ago as A. rosenbachianum.  I have since been informed that this would be incorrect.  I don't know, but....  The emerging leaves are always carmin tipped, which the seedlings are not.

In any case, I have quite a few seedlings in the area which are of similar colour, but are most likely hybrids with A. hollandicumPurple Sensation (or similar, as I am unsure if mine are PS!  They were from the garden centre and the flower is much lighter than the seedlings).  What do you all think?

Jamie, I think you are probably correct on both.  Back in 2000 and 2002, I grew true A. rosenbachianum from two sources, one from Arnis Seisums, collected in Tajikistan, W part of Darvas range, nr. village Lol, and the other from Antoine Hoog (both came as bulbs).  I have uploaded some images showing leaf growth and buds, sadly I can't seem to find any photos of the inflorescence... my photgrpahy back then was hit or miss; I used to borrow a digital camera from my office when it was available, and it wasn't always available. 

1.  A. rosenbachianum - Antoine Hoog source, young foliage freshly emerging.
2.  A. rosenbachianum - Antoine Hoog source, older foliage shows leaves uiniquely tapering to a narrowed red-flushed petiole, the leaves with a distinctive paddle shape to them.  The base of the flower stem is also red-flushed.
3.  A. rosenbachianum - Antoine Hoog source, the bud spathe is fastigiate or narrowly elongate in shape.
4.  A. rosenbachianum - Arnis Seisums source, with other Allium from Arnis (red arrow pointing to rosenbachianum).  Notice the same narrowed leaf bases.

So Jamie, your rosenbachianum looks correct to me, although it would be good to see the leaves if you have a photo of them.  And I would agree with the probability that the others are A. hollandicum or hybrids with it, the short and fat "onion shaped" bud spathe is the giveaway on that count.

[TheOnionMan]

Fresh photo of Allium sp. aff. ellisii taken this morning, with the flowers more fully expanded.