Family: Onion & Garlic [Alliaceae]


Agapanthus
Allium
Amaryllis
Crinum

Leucojum
Narcissus
Nectaroscordum
Nerine

Nothoscordum
Pancratium
Sternbergia
Tristagma

Triteleia

The Allium Genus in this Family was formerly in the Lily Family.

The following Families have been subsumed into this, the Onion & Garlic (Alliaceae) Family:

  • African-Lily Family (Agapanthaceae Family)
  • Jersey-Lily Family (Amaryllidaceae Family)
This has tripled the number of Genera under the Onion Family umbrella.

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[ALLIUM] Onions

Many, but by no means all of the Allium species, have triangular cross-section flower stems and keeled or chevron-shaped leaves.

Ramsons. (Allium Ursinum) Photo: © RWD

Three-Cornered Garlic (Allium Triquetrum) Photo: © Paula O'Meara

Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum) Photo: © RWD

Star of Persia (Allium Christophii) Photo: © RWD

Crow Garlic (Allium Scorodoprasum) Photo: © RWD


[NARCISSUS] Daffodils

Several members of the former Amaryllidaceae Family (former Daffodil Family) (as well as the former Hyacinth Family) contain allergenic lactones: tuliposides and tulipalins, which the plants use as natural fungicides. Tulips especially contain these compounds, and to a lesser extent so do Narcissus: Narcissus, Jonquils and Daffodils. Physical contact with the bulbs (especially) or the leaves and flowers can cause an allergic dermatitis called 'Lily Rash' or 'Tulip Finger' as many florists or gardeners have found to their cost. Dog-Tooth Violets also contain such compounds. [N.B. it may be called 'Lily rash, but these Narcissus plants do not belong to the 'Lily' family, but to this, the former Daffodil Family].

There are a huge number of differing Daffodils.

Use the BSBI website to identify Daffodils

Over 100 biologically active alkaloids have been isolated from members of the former Daffodil (Amaryllidaceae) Family, the most famous of which is Galantamine, (Nivalin®) first isolated from some species of Galanthus (Snowdrop), but now separated from commercially grown species of Daffodil. For Galantamine, see Wild Daffodil.

Pheasant's Eye (Narcissus Poeticus) Photo: © RWD

Wild Daffodil (Narcissus Pseudonarcissus) Photo: © RWD


[GALANTHUS] Snowdrops

SNOWDROP HYBRIDS
SNOWDROP
HYBRIDS

BSBI
maps

 G
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Greater Caucasian Snowdrop
(elwesii var. monostictus)		   elwesii × nivalis elwesii × plicatus  
Green   ikariae
+
woronowii		      
Snowdrop elwesii × nivalis   nivalis × plicatus  
Pleated elwesii × plicatus   nivalis × plicatus ssp plicatus
+
ssp byzantinus		  
Queen
Olgas		        

N.B. Due to the symmetrical nature of the chart, each hybrid appears twice, apart from that of Pleated Snowdrop.

Greater Snowdrop is sometimes known as Giant Snowdrop; Pleated Snowdrop as Crimean Snowdrop.

Of particular note is that there are actually three Snowdrop species with the same common name: Pleated Snowdrop. The first is Galanthus plicatus itself. The other two are subspecies: Galanthus plicatus subsp. plicatus and Galanthus plicatus subsp. byzantinus. All those that are not hybrids (and are either sub-species or variations) are shown within light-blue boxes.

AS a name for Caucasian Snowdrop, Galanthuis caucasicus is ambiguous, for there are two Snowdrops to which it applies: One is Alpine Snowdrop Galanthus alpinus (which is very rare, and not local to the UK), and Galanthus elwesii var. monostictus which presumably is extant within the UK.

There also seem to be two species of Green Snowdrop: Galanthuis ikariae and Galanthuis woronowii, the differences being in the size of the green markings on the inner three tepals.

None of the other hybrids shown have any common names.

Green Snowdrop (Galanthus woronowii) Photo: © RWD

Caucasian Snowdrop (Galanthus Caucasicus) Photo: © David Kikodze

Snowdrop (Galanthus Nivalis) Photo: © RWD

ANOTHER PICCY GOES HERE...

Family: Onion & Garlic [Alliaceae]