About Allium victorialis L.
Allium victorialis L. is a species that reaches a height of 30 to 45 cm (11.8 to 17.7 in). It forms a sheathed bulb, also called a root-stalk, that is roughly the thickness of a finger and 5 to 8 cm (2.0 to 3.1 in) long. Its leaves are broad, and can be elliptical or lanceolate in shape. The perianths of its flowers are whitish green. This species is widely distributed across mountain ranges in Europe, and also grows in the Caucasus and the Himalayas. In past centuries, Allium victorialis was cultivated as a medicinal and fetish plant in certain mountainous regions of Europe. A food source known as pukusa to the Ainu people of northern Japan was previously classified as Allium victorialis subsp. platyphyllum, but recent genetic studies have reclassified this taxon as the separate species Allium ochotense.
