Editing Chives (section)

== Description ==
Chives are a [[bulb]]-forming [[herbaceous]] perennial plant, growing to {{convert|25|cm|frac=2}} tall.<ref name="tfb">{{Cite book |last=Francis-Baker |first=Tiffany |title=Concise Foraging Guide |date=2021 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]] |isbn=978-1-4729-8474-6 |series=[[The Wildlife Trusts]] |location=London |pages=92}}</ref> The bulbs are slender, conical, {{convert|2|–|3|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} long and {{convert|1|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} broad, and grow in dense clusters from the [[root]]s. The [[Scape (botany)|scapes]] (or stems) are hollow and tubular, up to {{convert|50|cm|abbr=on}} long{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} and {{convert|2|–|3|mm|abbr=on|frac=16}} across, with a soft texture, although, prior to the emergence of a flower, they may appear stiffer than usual. The grass-like leaves,<ref name="Linford" /> which are shorter than the scapes, are also hollow and tubular, or terete (round in cross-section).

The [[flower]]s are pale purple, and star-shaped with six [[petal]]s, {{convert|1|–|2|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} wide, and produced in a dense [[inflorescence]] of 10–30 together; before opening, the inflorescence is surrounded by a papery [[bract]]. The [[seed]]s are produced in a small, three-valved capsule, maturing in summer. The herb flowers from April to May in the southern parts of its habitat zones and in June in the northern parts.<ref>[http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=J270 Allium schoenoprasum factsheet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080319144133/http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=J270 |date=2008-03-19 }}, from Kemper center for home gardening, retrieved on June 13, 2006, based on the position of the botanical Garden (Missouri)</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Creasy |first=Rosalind |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JAHQAgAAQBAJ&dq=where+in+world+do+chives+blossom+&pg=PT13 |title=The Edible Flower Garden |date=2012-11-27 |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |isbn=978-1-4629-0617-8 |language=en}}</ref>

Chives are the only species of ''Allium'' native to both the [[New world|New]] and the [[Old World]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mushrooms and Egg with Chives |url=https://www.valleytable.com/vt-article/chives |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=www.valleytable.com |date=21 March 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="small">Ernest Small {{google books|iZBFAQAAQBAJ|North American Cornucopia: Top 100 Indigenous Food Plants (2014)|page=230}}</ref><ref name="European">James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) {{Google books|CkxWrDqtWLQC|The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification|page=133}}</ref> Sometimes, the plants found in North America are classified as ''A. schoenoprasum'' [[variety (botany)|var.]] ''sibiricum'', although this is disputed. Differences between specimens are significant. One example was found in northern [[Maine]] growing solitary, instead of in clumps, also exhibiting dingy grey flowers.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = McGary
 | first = Mary Jane
 | year = 2001
 | title = Bulbs of North America: North American Rock Garden Society
 | publisher = Timber Press
 | location = Portland
 | id = 088192511X
 | pages = 28–29
}}</ref>

=== Similar species ===
Close relatives of chives include [[onion|common onions]], [[garlic]], [[shallot]], [[leek]], [[scallion]],<ref name="Block2010">{{cite book |author=Block, E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6AB89RHV9ucC |title=Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-85404-190-9}}</ref> and [[Allium chinense|Chinese onion]].<ref name="AN">{{cite web |title=AllergyNet&nbsp;— Allergy Advisor Find |url=http://www.allallergy.net/fapaidfind.cfm?cdeoc=684 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615004222/http://allallergy.net/fapaidfind.cfm?cdeoc=684 |archive-date=June 15, 2010 |access-date=April 14, 2010 |publisher=Allallergy.net}}</ref>

The terete hollow leaves distinguish the plant from ''[[Allium tuberosum]]'' (garlic chives).