Allium rosenbachianum Regel

Plant 50-70 cm. Bulbs globose, 1.5-2.5 cm diam., with blackish papery tunics. Leaves 2-3, linear-lanceolate or broadly linear, 1-5 cm broad, much shorter than scape. Umbel spherical, lax, many-flowered, pedicels unequal. Perianth segments rose-violet, with a darker nerve. V - March-April to end June. Fl - May-June for three weeks. Fr - July. P - by seed sown in March or by offsets. Tolerant of partial shade but does better in full sun. Good for group planting and as a cut flower. Z 4 (3).

Plants up to 1 in tall. Bulbs ovoid, c. 3 cm broad, coats membranous. Leaves 2-4, linear, 0.5-5 cm broad, flat. Scape up to 1 m long, glabrous, c. 5 mm thick, distinctly ribbed. Umbels spherical. Flowers many, laxly arranged. Pedicels 3-4 cm long, reddish-brown. Perigonium star-shaped. Tepals linear, c. 7 mm long, reddish-purple. Filaments as long as or slightly shorter than the tepals, connate at the base, entire, inner filaments with broader bases. Ovary tuberculate-papillate.

Central Asia (southwestern Pamiro Alay). In mountains, on rocky places and talus, in shade of rocks and trees.

Distribution: Central Asia, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Allium rosenbachianum is a plant species found high in the Himalayas of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan and cultivated in many other regions as an ornamental. It is a perennial herb with bulbs up to 30 mm across. Scape is up to 100 cm tall, with a spherical umbel of many reddish-purple flowers with long pedicels.