Allium cyathophorum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Allium cyathophorum |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| A. cyathophorum var. farreri | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Allium
|
| Species: |
cyathophorum
|
Allium cyathophorum is a type of flowering plant from China. It's part of the onion family, called Amaryllidaceae. In Chinese, it's known as "bei hua jiu" (杯花韭). This plant grows very high up in the mountains, from about 2,700 meters to 4,600 meters above sea level. That's like growing on top of some really tall mountains!
Contents
What Does Allium cyathophorum Look Like?
This plant is a perennial herb, which means it lives for more than two years and doesn't have a woody stem like a tree. It grows from a bulb, similar to an onion or a tulip. Its roots are thick, but its bulbs are thin and stringy.
The plant's flower stalks, called scapes, are usually flat on two sides. They can grow up to about 15 centimeters (6 inches) tall. Its leaves are flat and narrow, often shorter than the flower stalks. The flowers grow in a cluster called an umbel, which looks like a half-sphere. These flowers are a pretty purple color.
How Scientists Classify Allium cyathophorum
Scientists use a system called taxonomy to organize living things. Allium cyathophorum belongs to the third main group of plants in the Allium genus, which includes onions and garlic. It's also part of a smaller group called a subgenus, named Cyathophora. This plant is the main example, or "type species," for that subgenus.
Different Types of Allium cyathophorum
There are two main types, or varieties, of Allium cyathophorum that scientists recognize:
- Allium cyathophorum var. cyathophorum: The tips of its flower petals (called tepals) are rounded or blunt. You can find this variety in parts of China like Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, and Yunnan. It was once called Allium venustum.
- Allium cyathophorum var. farreri: The tips of its flower petals are pointed. This variety grows in Gansu and Sichuan in China.
A scientist named William Stearn first named Allium farreri in 1930, honoring a plant collector named Reginald Farrer. However, in 1950, Stearn realized that Allium farreri was actually just a different type of Allium cyathophorum. So, he renamed it to Allium cyathophorum var. farreri.
See also
In Spanish: Allium cyathophorum para niños
