Allium schoenoprasum.
Chives.
Family Amaryllidaceae s.l.
A perennial plant to 50 cm high and forming dense clumps from bulbs and rhizomes.
Oval bulbs are about 3 cm long by 1 cm wide.
The protective coat is a greyish-brown with hints of purple or yellow.
Each bulb has up to 5 hollow tubular leaves up to 5 mm in diameter.
The hollow, leafless scapes are up to 50 cm high – taller than the leaves.
The lower part is covered by the leaf bases.
A spathe-like bract protects the buds.
The flower head is roughly spherical with up to 30 closely packed flowers.
The bell-shaped flowers have 6 pointed tepals.
They can be purple to pale pink, rarely white.
The tepals have a darker midrib.
The stamens and style do not extend past the tepals.
There is a lot of nectar.
Allium tuberosum – garlic chives.
A perennial, clumping plant with stout rhizomes.
There are up to about 9 blue-green leaves to 30 cm high on a plant.
They are narrow and solid (chives are hollow).
There is a prominent longitudinal ridge (keel).
Inflorescence heads are up to 5 cm across on scapes to 35 cm high.
Flowers are white with a darker midrib.
J.F.
