Allium 2012

[Stephenb]

This dark sparsely flowered Allium wallichii is flowering for the first time. mainly as it's not had very good conditions. I had noted it as Allium wallichii "Dwarf" but it isn't dwarf (but seed propagated so wouldn't necessarily come true). It is much later (maybe 3 weeks later) than my other wallichiis...

[TheOnionMan]

That's an awesome dark form of A. wallichii!  For some reason, I'm not at all successful with this species.  I had good germination from the seed you sent me, only a few seedlings came back the following spring, but I suspect they're gone now after our HOT HOT HOT summer.  I shall weigh in on the other ID plants over the weekend, I'm supposed to be working tonight!

Magnar, all 4 of the alliums you posted look correct; nice selection.

[olegKon]

Magnar, I've just seen the allium you asked about on July,25 (page 8 of this thread). As far as I understood you haven't received the right ID so far (at least I've failed to find it here). Can it be Allium carolinianum?

[TheOnionMan]

Magnar, I've just seen the allium you asked about on July,25 (page 8 of this thread). As far as I understood you haven't received the right ID so far (at least I've failed to find it here). Can it be Allium carolinianum?

Oleg, I think you're right, Magnar's plant looks like A. carolinianum.  I hadn't yet weighed in on the ID, as I've had so little time to check in here.

[Magnar]

Thanks, both of you.  I have been thinking of that name myself too.

[TheOnionMan]

I received this one as Allium kermesinum a few years ago and asked in 2009 if anyone could confirm its identity, but this was before the real Allium guys joined us and I didn't get an answer.   Appreciate if someone could give their opinion:

Stephen, this does indeed look correct as Allium kermesinum, it fits the description of the flowers perfectly, namely heads 8-20 flowered, outer tepals cymbiform (boat shaped), stamens exserted, short persistent 2-valve spathe.  Can't see any leaves on your plant, but they are described as 10-25 cm x 1-5 mm wide, flat. The flowers are simply described as "red", but can be pale as well. 

There are some good links that show this species, here are a few.

Great photos in this link, the 2nd and 3rd photo look just like your plant.
http://flora.nhm-wien.ac.at/Seiten-Arten/Allium-kermesinum.htm

On NARGS:
http://www.nargs.org/nargswiki/tiki-browse_image.php?imageId=3177

On alpinegarden.se:
http://alpinegarden.se/plants/Allium%20kermesinum.htm

On the Republic of Slovenia site (interesting history of this species, also note that their plant photos all have super-saturated color, the red color here looks exaggerated)
http://www.vlada.si/en/about_slovenia/geography/pearls_of_the_floral_wealth_of_slovenia/crimson_or_kamnik_leek_allium_kermesinum/

I have grown and flowered this Slovenian endemic, took years to get to flowering size, and something (rabbits?) would invariably eat it to the base each year, one year it escaped the varmints and produced a small impoverished head of bloom, then decided to exit this world soon thereafter.

Stephen, as to your small, late-blooming white-in-bud Allium, please show us what it looks like in flower.

[TheOnionMan]

I showed some pictures in 2010 of a large Allium seen in the UK and collected from an Indian market. See the following link:
http://www.srgc.net/forum/index.php?topic=5766.msg167762#msg167762

It was tentatively identified as Allium hookeri by Mark and Dr. Reinhard Fritsch at Gaterseleben.

I now have a plant which I will try to overwinter for the first time. This is what the roots look like. I only have the one plant and am a bit concerned of its hardiness. Is it possible to propagate from these roots?

I don't think it is possible to separate out these fleshy roots to propagate the plant.  In the few species that have such roots, when I tried such propagation (usually as an accident when dividing up a clump, and breaking off some roots), it has not worked.

[Stephenb]

Thanks, Mark - yes the leaves also fit the bill (picture)...coincidentally, my plant came from Magnar in 2004!

[Magnar]

Thanks, Mark - yes the leaves also fit the bill (picture)...coincidentally, my plant came from Magnar in 2004!

Good to know the plant was correctly named. I got the seeds from a friend in Montreal in 2004. She usually has well identified plants. But she is not able now to tell where she got the seeds.

[Stephenb]

It says Ex-Slovakia on my label..

[Magnar]

It says Ex-Slovakia on my label..

Yes thats what my friend wrote on the seed pack. But no further infromation.

[TheOnionMan]

At peak bloom now are two Asian allium species, the purple has been distributed as Allium aff. thunbergii DJH (Dan J. Hinkley).  I believe it is actually Allium sacculiferum.  The white allium is a particularly handsome robust form of Allium thunbergii alba I picked up at a general garden center.  In the first photo, the composition was chosen to show the typical disposition A. thunbergii flowers; lax, flowers facing out and downwards, an informal mop-head, florets with very long stamens; whereas Allium sacculiferum (almost always misidentified as thunbergii) has tight spheres of bloom, shorter pedicels thus smaller inflorescence globes, much higher number of florets per head, among other differences.




Two views of Allium thunbergii alba and purple Allium sacculiferum.  In the first of the three views, if you look closely, a tiny Allium virgunculae is starting to show purple bud color in the lower right.






A closer view of Allium sacculiferum; the saucer-shaped forets are densely packed into spherical heads, so showy.




View of Allium thunbergii alba, with such long and lovely "eyelashes":

[shelagh]

Just one shot of our favourite Allium at the Loughborough Show yesterday.

[TheOnionMan]

Shelagh, is the plant shown the same as seen in the following link?
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/discussion/atshows//AUTUMN+SOUTH+SHOW+/16795/?page=3

I do not believe this is Allium virgunculae; in my estimation it is Allium togasii (also been published as A. togashii).  Looks just like a couple forms I grew of Allium togasii, both are late blooming (one form I grew flowered in August, another form flowered in September), but both grew upright, one was about 20 cm, the later blooming one grew up to 40 cm.  Allium togasii is typically this palest pinkish-white color, with open starry blooms as seen in the subject plant.  Allium virgunculae will be much smaller, shorter, and rather few-flowered.

[Diane Clement]

Shelagh, is the plant shown the same as seen in the following link?
http://www.alpinegardensociety.net/discussion/atshows//AUTUMN+SOUTH+SHOW+/16795/?page=3

Mark, this is the same plant, shown by forumist MartinR.  I didn't think it was A virgunculae as I thought that to be a much shorter plant.  I am growing a very similar plant to Martin's, mine is labelled A daghestanicum, interesting mine came from NARGS seed sown in 2001.  Thanks for your help in identifying it.