Allium schoenoprasum (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Allium schoenoprasum L.

Family: Liliaceae

Vernacular names

• Chives (En)
• Ciboulette, civette (Fr)
• Cambodia: kukiiw
• Laos: hoom pèèn
• Thailand: kuichai-farang, kuichai-baiklom (central), hom-paen (northern).

Distribution

Wild throughout the northern hemisphere. Cultivated worldwide but mostly in temperate countries.

Uses

Leaves are used in salads and for flavouring. It is also used as an ornamental.

Observations

• Perennial, very variable herb, 15-50 cm tall.
• Leaves narrow, tubular, terete, 10-50 cm × 1-7 mm.
• Bulbs gregarious, ovoid-oblongoid, 1-3 cm long, forming few to many lateral bulbs; in cultivated plants all bulbs inconspicuous.
• Flowers usually purple, in terminal subspherical heads without bulbils.

It can be cultivated in the tropics at higher altitudes on a wide range of soils. Propagation is by division or by seed. In Thailand it is grown to a small extent commercially and for home consumption. World area of commercial production is about 1000 ha. Sometimes confused with Allium chinense G. Don.

Selected sources

16, 30, 73, 74, 87.