Sikkim onion facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sikkim onionblue-flowered onion 高山韭 gao shan jiu |
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Allium
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sikkimense
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The Sikkim onion (scientific name: Allium sikkimense) is a beautiful plant known for its bright blue flowers. It is a type of wild onion that grows naturally in high mountain areas. People also call it the blue-flowered onion.
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About the Sikkim Onion
The Sikkim onion is a special plant that comes from the Himalayas. This mountain range stretches across several countries in Asia. It is known for its pretty blue flowers. Because of how lovely it looks, people sometimes grow it in their gardens.
Where the Sikkim Onion Grows
This plant is native to many places in Asia. You can find it growing wild in Sikkim, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and India. It also grows in several parts of China. These include areas like Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan.
The Sikkim onion likes to grow in high places. It lives in meadows and on the edges of forests. You can find it high up in the mountains, between 2,400 and 5,000 meters (about 7,874 to 16,404 feet) above sea level. That's really high!
What the Sikkim Onion Looks Like
The Sikkim onion has some interesting features:
- Bulbs: It has small, narrow bulbs. These are usually less than 5 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) wide. They often grow in a small group.
- Stems: The main stem, called a scape, can grow up to 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) tall.
- Leaves: Its leaves are flat and narrow. They are shorter than the stem and can be up to 5 millimeters wide.
- Flowers: The flowers grow in a tight, rounded cluster. This cluster is called an Umbel. All the flowers are a beautiful blue color.
Uses of the Sikkim Onion
Besides being a pretty garden plant, the Sikkim onion has other uses. In some parts of the Sikkim Eastern Himalayas, people use it for traditional medicine.
