Allium aka Garlic, Leek, Onion

Allium is a genus of flowering plants that includes several cultivated species such as onion, garlic, scallion, shallot, leek, and chives. The name "Allium" comes from the Latin word for garlic, and the type species for the genus is Allium sativum, meaning "cultivated garlic." The genus was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. Allium species are found in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere, with a few exceptions in Chile, Brazil, and tropical Africa. They vary in height, from 5 cm to 150 cm, and produce umbels of flowers at the top of leafless stalks. The bulbs also vary in size. Allium plants contain chemical compounds that give them their characteristic onion or garlic taste and odor, derived from cysteine sulfoxides. The flavor of Allium species depends on the sulfate content of the soil. In some classification systems, Allium is placed in the family Amaryllidaceae, while in others, it is placed in Liliaceae. Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the circumscription of Liliaceae is not monophyletic. Overall, Allium is the largest genus in the Amaryllidaceae and the Alliaceae. One specific species, Allium cepa, also known as white onion or "sweet onion," has a light and mild flavor profile due to its high sugar and low sulfur content.