Allium thunbergii facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Allium thunbergii
Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa' in the garden of botanist Robert R. Kowal, Madison, Wisconsin
Scientific classification
Genus:	Allium
Species:	thunbergii
Synonyms
Synonymy Allium arenarium Thunb. Allium bakeri var. morrisonense (Hayata) T.S.Liu & S.S.Ying Allium bakeri var. morrisonense (Hayata) Tang S. Liu & S.S. Ying Allium cyaneum f. stenodon (Nakai & Kitag.) Kitag. Allium cyaneum var. stenodon (Nakai & Kitag.) Kitag. Allium japonicum Steud. Allium morrisonense Hayata Allium nerinifolium Baker Allium odorum Thunb. 1784, illegitimate homonym not L. 1767 Allium plurifoliatum var. stenodon (Nakai & Kitag.) J.M.Xu Allium pseudocyaneum Grüning Allium sacculiferum var. glaucum P.P.Gritz. Allium sacculiferum var. robustum P.P.Gritz. Allium senescens Thunb. Allium stenodon Nakai & Kitag. Allium triquetrum Lour. Allium yamarakyo Honda

Allium thunbergii, Thunberg's chive or Thunberg garlic, is an East Asian species of wild onion native to Japan (incl Bonin + Ryukyu Islands), Korea, and China (incl. Taiwan). It grows at elevations up to 3000 m. The Flora of China recognizes A. tunbergii and A. stenodon as separate species, but more recent sources combine the two.

Allium thunbergii produces one or two egg-shaped bulbs up to 20 mm in diameter. Scapes are up to 50 cm tall. Leaves are longer than the scape, hollow, triangular in cross-section. Umbels are crowded with many red or purple flowers.

The specific epithet thunbergii references the Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Varieties

• Allium thunbergii var. deltoides (S.O.Yu, S.Lee & W.T.Lee) H.J.Choi & B.U.Oh - Gayasan National Park in Korea
• Allium thunbergii var. teretifolium H.J.Choi & B.U.Oh - Korea
• Allium thunbergii var. thunbergii - China, Japan, Korea