Allium thunbergii

Flower name
Allium thunbergii
Scientific name
Allium thunbergii
Alias山辣韭
Place of originJapan, the Korean Peninsula, mainland China, and Taiwan
Place of floweringFields and footpaths, Low mountains
Flowering seasonOctober, November

What is Allium thunbergii

"Perhaps better to admire the flowers than to eat them"

Allium thunbergii, Yama-rakkyo (Mountain Shallot, scientific name: Allium thunbergii) is a perennial herb native to Japan, the Korean Peninsula, mainland China, and Taiwan, belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family and the Allium genus. It grows naturally in grasslands of mountainous areas from southern Fukushima Prefecture to Shikoku and Kyushu.

The plant grows to a height of 30-60 cm. Its underground bulb is slender and cylindrical, producing 3-5 leaves from its base in spring. The leaves are linear, with a length of 20-50 cm and width of 0.2-0.5 cm. From September to November, an umbel of reddish-purple small flowers appears at the tip of the stem, forming a spherical shape with a diameter of 3-4 cm. Each flower has six perianth segments that are reddish-purple with rounded tips and do not open fully. There are six stamens with purple anthers, and a single pistil that protrudes beyond the perianth. After flowering, the fruit is a capsule approximately 0.5 cm in diameter, containing black seeds.

Above-ground parts wither in winter.

Related Species: Yama-rakkyo (Mountain Shallot, Allium thunbergii) is related to Rakkyo (Allium chinense). In spring, the leaves are used as edible wild vegetables in tempura or stir-fried dishes, while the bulb is cooked and eaten with miso.

Etymology: The genus name Allium is derived from the Latin word for "smell" or "garlic," and the species name thunbergii honors Swedish botanist, naturalist, and doctor Carl Peter Thunberg, a disciple of Linnaeus.

Origin of the flower name
The genus name "Allium" means "smell" or "garlic" in Latin, and the species name "thunbergii" is a dedication to Dr. Carl Peter Thunberg, a Swedish botanist, naturalist, and physician who was a student of Dr. Linnaeus.

Common Name: Yama-rakkyo (Mountain Shallot),
Scientific Name: Allium thunbergii,
APG Plant Classification System: Kingdom Plantae, Angiosperms, Monocots, Order Asparagales, Family Amaryllidaceae, Genus Allium, Species Allium thunbergii,
Native Region: Japan, Korean Peninsula, mainland China, Taiwan,
Distribution in Japan: From Fukushima Prefecture southward across Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, typically found in mountainous grasslands,
Plant Height: 30-60 cm,
Bulb Shape: Slender and cylindrical,
Leaf Shape: Linear with three edges,
Blooming Season: September to November,
Flower Stalk Length: 1-1.5 cm,
Inflorescence Shape: Spherical umbel,
Inflorescence Diameter: 3-4 cm,
Flower Color: Reddish-purple, with rounded tips that do not fully open,
Perianth: 6 segments with prominent stamens and pistil,
Number of Stamens: 6,
Number of Pistils: 1,
Anther Color: Purple,
Fruit Type: Capsule,
Fruit Shape: Obcordate,
Fruit Diameter: 0.5 cm,
Seed Color: Black.