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onion

Allium cepa L.

Family: Amaryllidaceae · Genus: Allium

Placenta I Low No biomass production
Mehdi · CC BY-SA · Wikimedia Commons

Cultivated Allium bulb. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3. Flowering attracts pollinators; leaves and bulbs can be harvested separately.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta I
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
Low
Strata
Low
Biomass class
No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Soil pH range
6–7
Preferred soil texture
Sandy, Loamy

Morphology

Mature height
0.2–0.7 m
Root system
Fibrous
Root depth
Shallow
Growth rate
Very fast
Lifespan
≤ 2 years
Time to first harvest
5 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Onion takes the Low stratum in the Placenta I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

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Emergent High Medium Low · ≈1 m Ground cover

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of onion?

The first harvest of onion comes around 5 months after planting.

How tall does onion grow?

At maturity, onion reaches 0.2–0.7 m tall.

What stage and stratum does onion occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, onion belongs to the placenta i stage, occupying the low stratum.

Functions

Propagation

Seed, Division

Citations

  1. Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Tabela 3 (Incaper) , p. 116 (primary_stratum)
  2. PFAF Plant Database — Allium cepa (ph_min, ph_max, soil_texture_preference, light_need, root_depth)
  3. Gardenia.net — Allium cepa (Onion) (ph_min, ph_max, soil_texture_preference)

External references

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