A group of powerful tall bows with a rosette of wide leaves and round umbrellas lilac or purple flowers,stars are familiar to a wide range of gardeners. They come from the mountainous regions of the center and South-West Asia and are known collectively as-Allium suworowii. Are in close relationship, many are easily crossed, and the result of a long joint cultivation emerged hybrid forms that blur the boundaries between a species and confusing systematics. What do we grow, and whether it is possible to understand it?
Perhaps this is an unsolvable task within the existing scope of the genus. In any case, R. M. Fritsch in 1993, looking at what is grown in the gardens as Allium aflatunense, did not suffer for a long time with the clarification, and made a new species – Allium hollandicum, a hybrid of garden origin.
But still in the catalogs are listed and wild species bows. Not the fact that they offer exactly what they call. This will help to understand the Botanical description, which turned out to be something like a key to determine the Allium suworowii of those that are most commonly found in catalogs.
Popular types of Allium suworowii. Distinguished by stems
A sign that is considered very important for distinguishing is the ribbing of the stem, at least at the bottom. Watch the signs, it is necessary for living plants.
Group with more or less ribbed stems
- A. giganteum
The bulb is oval, 4-6 cm in diameter, in a leathery grayish-brown shell, splitting into parallel fibers. Stem up to 1.5 (2) m tall. Leaves are bluish, up to 10 cm wide. Inflorescences are very dense, round, up to 12 cm in diameter. The flowers are purple-purple or white. Tepals up to 0.7 cm long, oval, do not curl after flowering. Blooms in June – July.
- A. hollandicum
The bulb is wide-oval, up to 5 cm in diameter, in a thin paper shell. The stem is strong, distinctly ribbed in the lower part, the height of the 60 (90) cm Leaves sticking out, up to 5 cm wide, colour them green or more bluish. Inflorescence dense, semicircular or almost round, up to 12 cm in diameter. The flowers are pink or pink-purple, stamens evenly colored. Tepals up to 1 cm long, narrow, Curling and bending back after flowering. Blooms in may and June. Traditionally it can be sold under the name “Allium aflatunense”.
- A. jesdianum
The bulb is wide-oval, up to 3.5 cm in diameter, in a paper shell with clear, longitudinal veins. Stem up to 1 m tall, with distinct but spaced ribs, especially in the lower part. Leaves are usually no more than 4 (6), width – up to 3.5 cm, the color is dark green or bluish. Inflorescence many-flowered, hemispherical, up to 12 cm in diameter. The flowers are bright, pink and purple, the tops of filaments are white. Tepals up to 0.9 cm long, very narrow, after flowering bent. Blooms in June.
The trade is often mixed with Allium rosenbachianum and A. rosenorum, which make up a close group. Maybe because of the fine flowers, giving the inflorescence a Lacy appearance, and differences in the descriptions.
- A. macleanii = A. elatum
The bulb is wide-oval, up to 6 cm in diameter, in a paper shell. Stem up to 1 m tall, with clear ribs. Leaves shiny green, up to 10 cm wide. Inflorescence dense, rounded, about 10 cm in diameter. Lilac-pink flowers. Tepals up to 0.8 cm long, narrow, after flowering do not change. Blooms in may and June.
- A. rosenorum
Bulb flattened-oval, up to 3 cm in diameter, in a paper grayish-brown shell with longitudinal veins. Stem up to 1 m tall, with narrow frequent ribs, especially in the lower part. Leaves can be up to 10, color – gray, width – up to 4 cm, at the bottom of the grooved, above the flat and weak, with wide ribs at the top. Inflorescence is thick, almost spherical, up to 12 cm in diameter. Flowers pale pink, filaments pink. Tepals up to 10 mm long, very narrow, twisted and bent.
- A. suworowii
Bulb up to 3 cm in diameter, almost round, leathery grayish, elongated shell. Stem up to 1 m tall, slightly ribbed. Leaves are grey, up to 3 cm wide, with rough edges and veins below. Umbrella dense, semicircular to very round, up to 8 cm in diameter. Tepals up to 0.5 cm long, narrow, rounded at the end, deviate and twist after flowering. Blooms in June.
Group with smooth stems
- A. aflatunense
Impressive. The bulb is oval, up to 6 cm in diameter, in a paper shell. Stem up to 180 cm and above. Leaves are smooth, gray, up to 15 cm wide. Inflorescence up to 12 cm in diameter, dense, round. Purple flowers. Tepals are relatively wide, up to 9 mm long. Blooms in may and June.
- A. altissimum
More elegant than the previous one. With almost the same high growth has narrower leaves (up to 5 cm), small inflorescences (up to 9 cm) and small dark flowers (tepals up to 7 mm long). Blooms in June.
- A. rosenbachianum
The bulb is round, up to 3 cm in diameter, in a paper gray shell. Plant height 50-100 cm Leaves no more than 4 (6), they are light green, shiny, up to 6 cm wide, narrowed to the base. Inflorescence loose, spherical, up to 12 cm in diameter. Flowers silver-pink-purple. Tepals up to 12 mm long, very narrow, folded along. Blooms in may and June. Often sold under the popular name ‘salute, Mary’.
- A. zarawschanicum
Similar to the previous, different wider, up to 10 cm, somewhat bluish leaves with longitudinally folded plates, which are superimposed at the base of the edges of each other.
- A. stipitatum
The bulb is almost round, up to 6 cm in diameter, in a paper gray shell. Height 60-150 cm Leaves up to 5 cm wide, bottom (or at least at the edges) with hairs. Inflorescence spherical or almost spherical, dense, up to 10 cm in diameter. Flowers purple or white, tepals relatively long – about 1 cm, narrow. Blooms earlier than others for 2 weeks, in may.
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