LILIACE/E 243 



germinate while still attached to the inflorescence. It is not 

 clearly known what is the cause of bulblet formation in 

 the inflorescence. Egyptian onions are often called " peren- 

 nial tree onions." They are valued for fall planting in the 

 North to produce early spring "bunchers." They are a hardy 

 type. 



The types of onions grown from seed are also classified by 

 Goff and by Gross. In these classifications, the primary 

 divisions are made on the basis of bulb shape, the secondary 

 ones, on size and color. 



Foreign and Domestic Onions. — There is a rather sharp 

 distinction between "foreign" and "domestic" types of 

 onions. The foreign types include Bermuda, Spanish and 

 Italian onions. As compared with American types, they are 

 larger, less hardy, the flesh is more tender and mild, but they 

 do not keep as well. On account of their tenderness, the 

 foreign types of onions do best in Florida, Texas, and south- 

 ern California. Seed of the Bermuda onion is produced 

 successfully only in Teneriffe, one of the Canary Islands, 

 off the west coast of Africa. Attempts to grow seed in the 

 United States have given comparatively poor results. The 

 Prizetaker is our best example of a Spanish onion. Impor- 

 tant varieties of Italian onions are the B arietta, White 

 Italian Tripoli, White Rocco, and Giant Gibraltar. There 

 are numerous varieties of American onions, well-known ones 

 being as follows: Red Wethersfield, Southport Globe 

 (white, yellow and red), Dan vers, American Prizetaker, 

 White Portugal, Silverskin and Strasburg. 



Composition of Onions. — Different varieties of onions 

 vary as to flavor and composition. The foreign types are 

 milder than American types. The flavor is usually more 

 pronounced in bulbs than in leaves or other parts of the 

 plant. The flavor and odor of onions is due to an oil-like 



