Chinese onion

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Chinese onion
• Chinese scallion
• Japanese scallion
• Oriental onion
• rakkyo

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Caloscordum exsertum
• Allium bodinieri
• Allium bakeri
• Allium exsertum
• Allium martini

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Asparagales, falling into the family Amaryllidaceae. Finally, it is identified by its genus, Allium.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning several key regions across Asia. In Central Asia, its presence is specifically noted within Kyrgyzstan. The species is widely found throughout China, including the South-Central regions, Southeast areas, and the island of Hainan. Additionally, its range extends into Eastern Asia, where it can be found in Japan. This diverse spread highlights the plant's ability to inhabit various ecological zones across the continent.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Allium chinense is characterized by its ability to thrive across diverse topographical gradients, showing significant adaptability to varying altitudes. It is frequently found in montane environments, with its distribution extending to a substantial vertical reach. Specifically, the species inhabits an elevational range that reaches a maximum of 2700 m AMSL. This wide altitudinal capacity suggests that the plant is capable of enduring a variety of temperature regimes and atmospheric pressures associated with high-altitude ecosystems, likely occupying niches in rocky slopes, forest margins, or meadowlands where soil moisture and sunlight levels meet its specific physiological requirements.

Elevational range max:

2700 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Allium chinense is defined by its specialized survival strategies, characterized biologically as a geophyte and a cryptophyte. As a geophyte, the plant relies on underground storage organs, such as bulbs, to endure unfavorable environmental conditions, allowing it to persist through periods of dormancy. This classification as a cryptophyte indicates that its perennating buds are located safely beneath the soil surface, protected from external stressors like frost or drought. This life cycle enables the plant to emerge seasonally, utilizing stored nutrients to rapidly develop foliage and reproductive structures when favorable growing conditions return.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Morphology

The morphology of Allium chinense is characterized by its growth habit as a self-supporting plant, as it does not possess the climbing mechanisms required to be classified as an obligatory, facultative, or self-supporting climber. It functions as an independent organism, showing no parasitic tendencies and lacking any obligatory, facultative, or independent parasitic traits. Furthermore, the plant is strictly terrestrial in its ecological niche, rather than acting as an epiphyte, meaning it does not exhibit obligatory, facultative, or terrestrial epiphytic characteristics.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Parasite :

independent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Allium chinense has 23 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include (-)-Anabasine, Anabasine, BRUCINE, Chinenoside IV, Chinenoside V.

(-)-Anabasine

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Anabasine

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

BRUCINE

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Chinenoside IV

1. Planta medica

Chinenoside V

1. Planta medica

Diallyl disulphide

1. Journal of medical microbiology

Diallyl sulphide

1. Journal of medical microbiology

Diallyl tetrasulphide

1. Journal of medical microbiology

Diallyl trisulphide

1. Journal of medical microbiology

Imidacloprid

1. Food chemistry

Activities

Allium chinense has 11 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antioxidant, Antifungal, Antihyperglycemic.

Antibacterial

1. Fitoterapia
2. Chinese journal of natural medicines

Anticancer

1. Journal of natural medicines
2. Fitoterapia

Antioxidant

1. Fitoterapia
2. Chinese journal of natural medicines

Antifungal

1. Fitoterapia

Antihyperglycemic

1. Fitoterapia

Antispasmodic

1. Chinese journal of natural medicines

Antitumor

1. Chinese journal of natural medicines

Antiviral

1. Fitoterapia

Hypocholesterolemic

1. Fitoterapia

Hypolipidemic

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Medicinal Uses

Allium chinense has 9 reported medicinal uses identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Staphylococcus aureus, asthma, carcinoma, diarrhea, high-fat-diet.

Most Reported Uses

Preparations