Allium carolinianum Redouté

Bulbs usually paired, ovoid to ovoid-cylindric, 1--2.5 cm in diam.; tunic brown to yellowish brown, leathery, apex separated, usually fibrous. Leaves broadly linear, usually falcate, shorter than scape, (3--)5--15 mm wide, flat, smooth, apex obtuse. Scape 20--40(--60) cm, terete, covered with leaf sheaths for ca. 1/2 its length. Spathe 2-valved, persistent. Umbel globose, densely many flowered. Pedicels subequal, slightly shorter than to 2 × as long as perianth, bracteolate or ebracteolate. Perianth pale red to purple-red or white; segments oblong to narrowly so, (4.5--)6--8(--9.4) × 1.5--3 mm, apex obtuse, sometimes retuse; inner ones subequaling to slightly longer than outer. Filaments subulate, slightly shorter than than to 2 × as long as perianth segments, connate at base and adnate to perianth segments for ca. 1 mm; inner ones wider than outer at base. Ovary subglobose, with concave nectaries at base. Style exserted. Fl. and fr. Jun--Sep. 2 n = 32.

It is a temperate plant. It grows naturally in the Himalayas from Afghanistan to Nepal on stony slopes between 3000-4500 metres. In China it grows on gravely or stony slopes between 3000-5000 m altitude in W China.

The bulbs are eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. They are also dried and used in curries and pickles. The flowers are used raw or to flavour salads. The leaves are crushed and dried cakes made out of this mass then stored for later use.

Plants can be grown from seed or by division of clumps. Bulbs should be planted fairly deeply.