Purple onion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Purple onionGranat-Kugellauch |
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| Allium atropurpureum | |
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Allium nigrum var. atropurpureum (Waldst. & Kit.) Vis. |
The Allium atropurpureum is a beautiful plant. It comes from places like Hungary, the Balkans, and Turkey. People often grow it in gardens because of its amazing deep purple flowers. It is sometimes called the purple onion.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Allium atropurpureum grows from a round or egg-shaped bulb. This bulb is like an underground storage unit for the plant. Its main stem, called a scape, can grow up to 100 cm (about 3 feet) tall.
The leaves are green and long, about 7 mm wide. They get narrower at the very end. This plant blooms in late spring and early summer. Its flowers grow in a round cluster called an umbel. These flowers are a very dark purple color. The part of the flower that holds the seeds, called the ovary, is almost black. The plant also smells strongly like onion or garlic.
How It Got Its Name
This plant was first described by two scientists, Franz de Paula Adam von Waldstein and Pál Kitaibel. They wrote about it in a book called 'Descr. Icon. Pl. Hung.' in the year 1800.
The second part of its scientific name, atropurpureum, comes from Latin words. It means 'deep purple' or 'blackish-purple'. This name perfectly describes the plant's dark flower color.
There was once a plant called Allium atropurpureum var. hirtulum. This plant was found in Central Asia. However, scientists later realized it was a different species. Now, it is known as Allium stipitatum.
Where Does It Grow?
The Allium atropurpureum plant is found naturally in parts of Europe and Asia.
Its Home Countries
In Asia, you can find it in Turkey. In Europe, it grows in countries like Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, and Romania.
Where It Likes to Live
This plant prefers to grow in places where the ground has been farmed. It also likes dry, open areas.
Special Garden Types
Gardeners sometimes create new types of plants by mixing two different ones. These new types are called "cultivars."
One popular cultivar is called Allium ‘Firmament’. A plant breeder named J. Bijl created it in 1971. He did this by crossing Allium atropurpureum with another plant called Allium cristophii. This created a new plant with special features.
