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Onion (Allium cepa)
Photo: Colin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 2 countries crop symbol: Hungary

Onion

Allium cepa

Family: Amaryllidaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Niger, Hungary.

The onion is a biennial of the amaryllis family, grown for its underground bulb made up of fleshy storage scales. It has tubular, hollow leaves, and in its second year it produces a tall flowering stalk topped with a spherical umbel of small, whitish flowers. It owes its characteristic pungent taste and smell to sulphur compounds. It originates from Central Asia and is one of the oldest crops in the world.

Description from: Niger.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Niger no. 7 of 8 cultivated

    Niger is one of West Africa’s largest onion producers, and the “Violet de Galmi” variety, named after a town in the Tahoua region, is prized for its flavour and keeping quality.

  2. Hungary no. 8 of 8 cultivated

    The Makó onion has hungarikum status

    The onion of Makó in Csongrád-Csanád County is famed for its sharp flavour and long keeping; in 2009 it received an EU protected designation of origin, and it has hungarikum status.