Allium ID

[mark smyth]

At the weekend I got two small Alliums from the Ulster Group AGS plant sale. They were labelled Allium aflatuense but someone suggested they are A. cyathophorum var farreri

Is there any way of knowing what Allium it is when not flowering?

[ashley]

It's definitely wrong Mark, and A. cyathophorum var farreri is a likely guess I'd say. 
The allium experts may be able to tell you more.

[mark smyth]

THanks. Looking up both I see A. aflatuence is totally wrong

[mark smyth]

Today I wanted to divide the pot of this allium. There aren't any bulbs but a tight congested 'ball' of stems more like a grass. How do I divide it?

[TheOnionMan]

Mark, I'll second Ashley's ID as A. cyathophorum var. farreri... the narrow stems and red stem bases are a giveaway, as is the general aspect of the plant and seed.

To divide, gentle tease the slender "bulb bases" apart, they should separate... the bulbs are nothing more than slightly thickened stem bases with some white fleshy roots. Sometimes two stems are attached and can't be separated, but you should be able to get a fair number of divisions.

PS:  Allium aflatunense (note spelling) is one of the tall spring-blooming summer-dormant "big ball" onions, or as Richadd Dadd called them, cricket ball onions.  By the way, does anyone know how Richard Dadd is doing, I haven't heard from him in a long time.