Chinese Chives

Padang Lembu, Kedah, Malaysia. Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng. Amaryllidaceae, also placed in: Alliaceae, Liliaceae. CN: [Malay - Kucai], Chinese chives, Chinese leek, Garlic chives, Oriental garlic. Native of China; elsewhere cultivated. Food flavoring and vegetable, ornamental and folk medicine. Perennial herb forming dense clumps ca 20-40 cm tall; spreading rhizomes, bulb indistinct, narrowly ovoid ca 15-20 mm x 15 mm. Leaves distichious, linear ca 13-45 cm x 2-10 mm, flat above, slightly keeled below. Inflorescence umbellate, many flowered, white, widely opened, star-like, fragrant. Fruit obovoid ca 5-6 mm long and wide. Seed irregularly depressed, spherical ca 3-4 mm long, black.Synonym(s):Allium clarkei Hook. f.Ref and suggested reading:www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?2409www.globinmed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=a...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic_chives

Photo taken at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Garlic chives, Kow choi or NiraAmaryllidaceaeGarlic chives differ from the western type of chives (Allium schoenoprasum) in that they have flatten leaves, whereas the other chive have round, hollow leaves.Garlic chives are used a lot in Asian cooking. Flavor is a combination of garlic and chive.

Photo taken at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Padang Lembu, Kedah, Malaysia. Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng. Amaryllidaceae, also placed in: Alliaceae, Liliaceae. CN: [Malay - Kucai], Chinese chives, Chinese leek, Garlic chives, Oriental garlic. Native of China; elsewhere cultivated. Food flavoring and vegetable, ornamental and folk medicine. Perennial herb forming dense clumps ca 20-40 cm tall; spreading rhizomes, bulb indistinct, narrowly ovoid ca 15-20 mm x 15 mm. Leaves distichious, linear ca 13-45 cm x 2-10 mm, flat above, slightly keeled below. Inflorescence umbellate, many flowered, white, widely opened, star-like, fragrant. Fruit obovoid ca 5-6 mm long and wide. Seed irregularly depressed, spherical ca 3-4 mm long, black.Synonym(s):Allium clarkei Hook. f.Ref and suggested reading:www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?2409www.globinmed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=a...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic_chives

Allium schoenoprasum

Padang Lembu, Kedah, Malaysia. Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng. Amaryllidaceae, also placed in: Alliaceae, Liliaceae. CN: [Malay - Kucai], Chinese chives, Chinese leek, Garlic chives, Oriental garlic. Native of China; elsewhere cultivated. Food flavoring and vegetable, ornamental and folk medicine. Perennial herb forming dense clumps ca 20-40 cm tall; spreading rhizomes, bulb indistinct, narrowly ovoid ca 15-20 mm x 15 mm. Leaves distichious, linear ca 13-45 cm x 2-10 mm, flat above, slightly keeled below. Inflorescence umbellate, many flowered, white, widely opened, star-like, fragrant. Fruit obovoid ca 5-6 mm long and wide. Seed irregularly depressed, spherical ca 3-4 mm long, black.Synonym(s):Allium clarkei Hook. f.Ref and suggested reading:www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?2409www.globinmed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=a...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic_chives

Padang Lembu, Kedah, Malaysia. Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng. Amaryllidaceae, also placed in: Alliaceae, Liliaceae. CN: [Malay - Kucai], Chinese chives, Chinese leek, Garlic chives, Oriental garlic. Native of China; elsewhere cultivated. Food flavoring and vegetable, ornamental and folk medicine. Perennial herb forming dense clumps ca 20-40 cm tall; spreading rhizomes, bulb indistinct, narrowly ovoid ca 15-20 mm x 15 mm. Leaves distichious, linear ca 13-45 cm x 2-10 mm, flat above, slightly keeled below. Inflorescence umbellate, many flowered, white, widely opened, star-like, fragrant. Fruit obovoid ca 5-6 mm long and wide. Seed irregularly depressed, spherical ca 3-4 mm long, black.Synonym(s):Allium clarkei Hook. f.Ref and suggested reading:www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?2409www.globinmed.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=a...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic_chives