A wild plant of Allium species which possesses the characteristics of Welsh onion (Album fistulosum L.) and Chinese chives (A. tuberosum R.) simultaneously was found and experiments were carried out to make clear the utility and to obtain the fundamental informations for breeding and culture of these plants.
1. Chromosome number and karyotype of the wild plant were 2n=48 (a hexaploid) and K(2n) =48V+2J+2j, respectively, while those of Baegu district local variety of Chinese chives were 2n =32 (a tetraploid) and K(2n)=28V+2J+2j^t, respectively.
2. Chromosome length and ratio of length of short arm to long arm showed some differences between the wild plant and Chinese chives. Among 48 chromosomes of the wild plant, there were a number of chromasomes which were even shorter than the shortest one of Chinese chives.
3. Growth curves of dry matter of whole and parts of plants demonstrated similar pattern in both two species, but the wild plant was more cold-resistant and leaf blade grew at the temperature at which Chinese chives suffered from cold injury.
4. During the period of fleshness of bulb, there was the second peak of specific growth rate and, therefore, showed two peaks in the wild plant while Chinese chives exhibited one. The wild plant had a remarkable flesh bulb as compared with Chinese chives.
5. Contents of main components of leaf and bulb showed no great difference between the wild plant and Chinese chives. But the wild plant conta.ned more water, total carbon, and carbon in crude carbohydrate in leaf, and more water, total sugar, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, total nitrogen, crude protein, and carbon in crude protein in bulb than those of Chinese chives.
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