Allioideae

Left vegetable leek (Allium oleraceum ) and right Yellow leek (Allium flavum ) Illustration

The subfamily of leek plants or bulbs ( Allioideae ) belongs to the plant family of the Amaryllis family ( Amaryllidaceae ) in the order of the asparagus -like ( Asparagales ) within the monocots. Many species are used as ornamentals or food plants. The medical effects of some types were investigated.

3.1 Further Reading
3.2 Notes and references

Description

Vegetative characteristics

There are perennial herbaceous plants. All species are not always green, so only have leaves during the low season (summer or rainy season). Often they form bulbs with tunic, tubers or rhizomes as outlasting. The roots are often contractile. Most species have the typical smell of onions.

The leaves are alternate and spirally or two lines, almost always arranged in a basal rosette. The simple ganzrandigen leaves are designed very differently. Only rarely is a petiole formed ( for example, Allium ursinum, Allium victoralis ).

Generative features

It is a more or less long, not exfoliated inflorescence stem available. The scheindoldigen inflorescences are composed of compressed, zymösen part inflorescences and are sometimes almost perfectly round. The inflorescence is wrapped protectively in knospigen state of two or more membrane-like bracts. There are no bracts present.

The hermaphrodite, usually with radial symmetry, zygomorphen more or less at Miersia, Gethyum and Solaria, blooms are triple. Almost all species have two circles, each with three bloom cladding, except Gilliesia and Schickendantziella in which a circle is missing. The bloom are the same diverse and mostly fused at their base. There are usually two circles, each with three fertile stamens present. In Gilliesia, Gethyum, Miersia and Solaria the stamens are fused into a tube surrounding the stylus. However, only three fertile stamens are present in Gilliesia and Gethyum and the other three are reduced to short staminodes. In Trichlora and some Leucocoryne types each one fertiles Stamen alternates with a Staminodium. The three carpels are fused to a constant above, dreifächerigen ovary. The ovary chamber are usually a few, only one or two ovules present in Allium. It is usually the upper part of Septalnektarien ovary available, except for Gilliesia and Gethyum. In all modes, the stylus is not hollow, unlike the Themidaceae. Pollination is mostly by insects ( entomophily ).

Are formed capsule fruits.

From 2 to 20 microns long, depending on the tribe chromosome in a base number of n = 4, 6, (7), 8, (9) exists.

Ingredients

Typically, but not present in all species, is the accumulation of sulfur compounds which cause by injury of cells by cleaving the release of the fragrant characteristic leek oil. Steroid saponins are often found. Only rarely idioblasts are filled with mucus and Oxalatraphiden. There are flavonoids present.

Systematics and distribution

This subfamily occurs worldwide in all climates. In Australia and adjacent areas you will find only a few species.

The molecular genetic studies in the last ten years have meant that the family boundaries within the order of asparagus -like ( Asparagales ) have dramatically shifted. The systematics of this subfamily, formerly family, was discussed at length, while subfamilies and tribes were set up and discarded, one is in the literature often encounter apparent inconsistencies. Shown here is the classification by Mark W. Chase et al. 2009th The Amaryllidaceae J.St. - Hil family. has been extended to the taxa of the former families Agapanthaceae and Alliaceae. The previous sub-families of the former Alliaceae be downgraded one rank lower and form the three tribes of the subfamily Allioideae Herb. S. L. The family Alliaceae was published by Moritz Balthasar Borkhausen. Type genus is Allium L. Other synonyms for Allioideae Herb. are Cepaceae Salisb. , Gilliesiaceae Lindl., Milulaceae Traub, Tulbaghiaceae Salisb. Previously, these taxa were also classified in the lily family ( Liliaceae ).

The subfamily leek plants ( Allioideae ) is divided into three tribes and currently comprises about 15 (formerly 30 ) genera and nearly 800 species:

Tribus Allieae Dum. Bulbs contain no starch. With only one genus: Allium species ( Allium L.): (including Caloscordum Herb, Milula Prain, Nectaroscordum Lindl.. ) With 260-780 species in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere it is the most diverse genus of this subfamily.

Tribus Gilliesieae ( Syn: Gillesiaceae Lindl, Gilliesioideae Arnott, Ipheieae. ): It occurs only in the Neotropics. With about thirteen genera and about 80 species: Ancrumia Harv. ex Baker (sometimes in Solaria incorporated ), with only one type: Ancrumia cuspidata Harv. ex Baker: The home is Coquimbo in Chile.

Erinna gilliesioides PHIL: The home is central Chile.

Schickendantziella trichosepala ( Speg. ) Speg. , The home is the north-eastern Argentina.

Tribus Tulbaghieae Endl. ex Meisn. ( Syn: Tulbaghioideae MFFay & MWChase, Tulbaghiaceae Salisbury ): Usually with rhizomes. With only one genus: Tulbaghia L.: With about 22 species in the Capensis.

Many species that were previously classified in this subfamily belong today to the family of Themidaceae.

Swell

Mark W. Chase, James L. Reveal & Michael F. Fay: A subfamilial classification for the expanded asparagalean families Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae and Xanthorrhoeaceae in Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 161, Issue 2, 2009, pp. 132-136. ( Section systematics) viewed in January 2010
The Alliaceae family in APWebsite. ( Section systematics and description)
The Alliaceae family at DELTA. ( Description section )
Paula J. Rudall, Richard M. Bateman, Michael F. Fay & Alison Eastman: Floral anatomy and systematics of Alliaceae with Particular reference to Gilliesia, a presumed insect mimic with 'strongly zygomorphic flowers, in American Journal of Botany, 89 (12) 2002, pp. 1867-1883: PDF online. or online. ( Description section )