Taxon:  Allium sphaerocephalon L.



Summary
Genus:
Allium
Subgenus:
Allium
Section:
Allium
Family:
Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily:
Allioideae
Tribe:
Allieae
Nomen number:
2383
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 1:297.  1753
Verified:
01/16/2007 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
17 (11  active, 3  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Autonym(s)
Allium sphaerocephalon L. var. sphaerocephalon

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Allium descendens L.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  2. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  3. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  4. Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
  5. CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
  6. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  7. Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  8. Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
  9. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  10. Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants Kampong Publications. Note: lists as "sphaerocephalum"
  11. Godeau, M. et al. 1996. Allium sphaerocephalon f. prostratum Cor., Fig., God. Valeur taxonomique. Acta Bot. Gallica 143:107. Note: on Allium sphaerocephalon f. prostratum
  12. Gregory, M. et al. 1998. Nomenclator alliorum. Allium names and synonyms - a world guide.
  13. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  14. Keller, E. R. J. et al. 1996. Interspecific crosses of onion with distant Allium species and characterization of the presumed hybrids by means of flow cytometry, karyotype analysis and genomic in situ hybridization. Theor. Appl. Genet. 92:417-424.
  15. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  16. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  17. Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
  18. Mathew, B. 1996. A review of Allium sect. Allium 47, 119,120.
  19. Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
  20. Porcher, M. H. et al. Searchable World Wide Web Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database (MMPND) (on-line resource).
  21. Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:341-342.
  22. Stearn, W. T. 1944. Notes on the genus Allium in the Old World. Herbertia 11:11-34.
  23. Still, S. M. 1994. Manual of herbaceous ornamental plants, ed. 4
  24. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  25. Valdés, B. et al., eds. 2002. Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du nord du Maroc, incluant des clés d'identification
  26. Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishball-head onion  1CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Englishround-head garlic  1Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Englishround-head leek  1Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Frenchail à tête ronde  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
GermanKugellauch  2Erhardt, W. et al. 2002. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 17. Auflage
Swedishklotlök  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaMacaronesiaSpainCanarias Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt n.Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Valdés, B. et al., eds. 2002. Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du nord du Maroc, incluant des clés d'identification
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaTunisia  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusRussian Federation-CiscaucasiaCiscaucasia Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaCyprus  Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaLebanon  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaSyria  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeBelarus  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeRussian FederationKalmykija, Respublika Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:341-342.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeRussian FederationSaratov Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:341-342.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeRussian FederationVolgogradskaja oblast' Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:341-342.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeRussian Federation-European partEuropean parts.Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeEuropeEastern EuropeUkraine  Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeAustria  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeBelgium  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeCzechoslovakia  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeGermany  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeHungary  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeSwitzerland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeUnited Kingdom  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeBulgaria  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. Sardinia, SicilyTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeRomania  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance incl. CorsicaTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2Cultivated    also cult.Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Native
Africa
  • MACARONESIA: Spain [Canarias]
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt (n.), Morocco, Tunisia
Asia-Temperate
  • WESTERN ASIA: Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey
  • CAUCASUS: Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia [Ciscaucasia]
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
  • MIDDLE EUROPE: Czechoslovakia, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Hungary
  • EASTERN EUROPE: Russian Federation-European part [European part (s.)], Belarus, Russian Federation [Kalmykija, Respublika, Saratov, Volgogradskaja oblast'], Ukraine
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy (incl. Sardinia, Sicily), Romania
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France (incl. Corsica), Portugal
Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)
  1. Arechavaleta, M. et al., coords. 2009. Lista de especies silvestres de Canarias: hongos, plantas y animales terrestres
  2. Boulos, L. 1999-. Flora of Egypt
  3. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  4. Euro+Med Editorial Committee. Euro+Med Plantbase: the information resource for Euro-Mediterranean plant diversity (on-line resource).
  5. Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
  6. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  7. Meikle, R. D. 1977-1985. Flora of Cyprus.
  8. Skvortsov, A. K., ed. 2006. Flora of the Lower Volga region 1:341-342.
  9. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  10. Valdés, B. et al., eds. 2002. Catalogue des plantes vasculaires du nord du Maroc, incluant des clés d'identification
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Mathew, B. 1996. A review of Allium sect. Allium 47, 119,120.
Weed  CIBA-GEIGY, Basel, Switzerland. Documenta CIBA-GEIGY (Grass weeds 1. 1980, 2. 1981; Monocot weeds 3. 1982; Dicot weeds 1. 1988) Note: four books on weeds worldwide in scope
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=2383. Accessed 17 April 2026.