A Close Up View Of An Onion Flower Breaking Out Of Its She Stock Photo

The onion Allium cepa L., also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. Its close relatives include the garlic, leek, chive and Chinese onion. It is a biennial plant, but is usually grown as an annual. If left in the soil over winter, the growing point in the middle of the bulb begins to develop in the spring. New leaves appear and a long, stout, hollow stem expands, topped by a bract protecting a developing inflorescence. The inflorescence takes the form of a globular umbel of white flowers.