ONION. 189 



Description. — The root consists of several tufted, simple, 

 whitish fibres, attached to the base of a fleshy plate or disk, 

 upon which is situated the bulb, (subterranean bud or stem,) 

 consisting of numerous, more or less thick fleshy tunics, one 

 within another, forming an orbicular or ovate depressed body. 

 The leaves are glabrous, cylindrical, fistulous, acuminate, and 

 all proceed from the root. The flowers are terminal, umbellate, 

 in a rounded or oval head, supported on a round fistulous 

 scape, from two to three feet in height, ventricose or inflated 

 towards its lower part. The perianth resembles a corolla, 

 consisting of six spreading, ovate, acute petals, of a whitish 

 or reddish hue, with a green costa, the three inner rather 

 larger. The stamens are six, with whitish filaments, united 

 at the base ; the three opposite to the outer petals subu- 

 late, erect; the three opposite to the inner petals subulate 

 and spreading above, broadly ovate at the base, often with a 

 short tooth on each side ; the anthers ovate, opening inwards. 

 The germen is roundish, slightly depressed, obsoletely trigo- 

 nous, with a short style, and an acute stigma. The fruit is a 

 three-sided, triangular capsule, three-celled, three-valved, each 

 cell containing two or three roundish, oblique, angular, blackish 

 seeds. Plate 35, fig. 3, (a) entire flower, magnified; (b) one of 

 the three enlarged stamens ; (c) pistil ; (d) fruit ; (e) transverse 

 section of the fruit ; (/) seed magnified. 



The Onion is a well known plant, and extensively cultivated 

 all over Europe for culinary purposes. Like some other com- 

 mon vegetables, its native country is not exactly known. It 

 flowers in June and July. 



The origin of the generic name has been already suggested. 

 Cepa (caepe, Latin,) is derived from the Celtic cep, signifying a 

 head ; hence also the Latin caput, &c. 



There is a variety called the Tree-Onion, (Allium Cepa ramo- 

 sum,) which produces its bulbs among the flowers at the ends 

 of the branched scape, and sometimes bears only bulbs. The 

 Spanish Onion is also a variety, but when cultivated in this 

 country it grows less, and becomes more acrid every year, 

 degenerating into the Common Onion. In warm climates, the 

 Onion contains much more saccharine matter, and in Egypt, it 

 is consumed in amazing quantities, and is much esteemed as a 



