Editing Onion (section)

== Taxonomy and etymology ==

The onion plant (''Allium cepa''), also known as the bulb onion<ref name="GRIN Allium cepa var cepa">{{GRIN |''Allium cepa'' var. ''cepa'' |409114 |access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref> or common onion,{{sfn|Fritsch|2002|pp=9–10}} is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''[[Allium]].''<ref name="Eric Block 2010">Eric Block, "Garlic and Other ''Alliums'': The Lore and the Science" (Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2010)</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Brewster |first=James L. |title=Onions and other vegetable ''Alliums'' |edition=1st |year=1994 |publisher=CAB International |location=Wallingford, UK |isbn=978-0-85198-753-8 |page=16}}</ref> It was first officially [[species description|described]] by [[Carl Linnaeus]] in his 1753 work ''[[Species Plantarum]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Linnaeus |first=Carl |author-link= |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358281 |title=Species Plantarum |publisher=Laurentii Salvii |year=1753 |volume=1 |location=Stockholm |page=262 |language=la |access-date=21 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616061629/https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358281 |archive-date=16 June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> Synonyms during its taxonomic history are:<ref name=ALCE>{{PLANTS |symbol=ALCE |taxon=Allium cepa |access-date=2013-03-31}}</ref><ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |id=42720 |taxon=''Allium cepa'' L. |access-date=2013-04-01}}</ref>

*''Allium cepa'' var. ''aggregatum'' – G. Don<!--whole list is cited to those 2 refs-->
*''Allium cepa'' var. ''bulbiferum'' – Regel
*''Allium cepa'' var. ''cepa'' – Linnaeus
*''Allium cepa'' var. ''multiplicans'' – L.H. Bailey
*''Allium cepa'' var. ''proliferum'' – (Moench) Regel
*''Allium cepa'' var. ''solaninum'' – Alef
*''Allium cepa'' var. ''viviparum'' – (Metz) Mansf.<ref name=ALCE/><ref name="ITIS"/>

''A. cepa'' is known exclusively from cultivation,<ref name="FNA">{{eFloras|1|200027457|Allium cepa |first1=Dale W. Jr. |last1=McNeal |first2=T. D. |last2=Jacobsen |volume=26}}</ref> but related wild species occur in Central Asia and Iran. The most closely related include ''[[Allium vavilovii|A. vavilovii]]'' from Turkmenistan and ''[[Allium asarense|A. asarense]]'' from [[Iran]].<ref name="prota">Grubben, G.J.H.; Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Zohary |first1=Daniel |last2=Hopf |first2=Maria |title=Domestication of plants in the Old World |edition=Third |location=Oxford |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2000 |page=198 |isbn=978-0-19-850357-6}}</ref> The genus ''Allium'' contains other species variously called onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion (''A.&nbsp;fistulosum''), Egyptian onion (''A. &nbsp;× proliferum''), and Canada onion (''A.&nbsp;canadense'').{{sfn|Fritsch|2002|pp=9–10}} The vast majority of [[cultivar]]s of ''A.&nbsp;cepa'' belong to the common onion group (''A.&nbsp;cepa''&nbsp;var.&nbsp;''cepa'') and are usually referred to simply as onions. The Aggregatum Group of cultivars (''A.&nbsp;cepa''&nbsp;var.&nbsp;''aggregatum'') includes both shallots,{{sfn|Fritsch|2002|pp=20–21}} formerly classed as a separate species,<ref name="GRIN 2010-08-20">{{GRIN |access-date=2010-08-20}}</ref>{{sfn|Fritsch|2002|p=21}} and potato onions.{{sfn|Fritsch|2002|pp=20–21}} Related species include [[garlic]], [[leek]], and [[chives]].<ref name=Block2010>{{cite book |last=Block |first=E. |title=Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6AB89RHV9ucC |publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-85404-190-9 |access-date=30 June 2020 |archive-date=1 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801202704/https://books.google.com/books?id=6AB89RHV9ucC |url-status=live }}</ref>

''Cepa'' is commonly accepted as Latin for "onion"; the [[Genus|generic]] name ''Allium'' is the classical Latin name for garlic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Allium cepa - Plant Finder |url=https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=282056 |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=www.missouribotanicalgarden.org}}</ref> 
It has an affinity with <!--[[Romanian language|Romanian]]: ''ceapă'', [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''cebola'',--> Spanish: ''cebolla'', Italian: ''cipolla'', Polish: ''cebula'', and the German ''Zwiebel'' (this last altered by [[folk etymology]]). The English word "[[chive]]" is from the Old French ''chive'' <!--hence modern French ''cive''-->, in turn from ''cepa''.<ref name="Onion Etym">{{cite web |title=chive (n.) |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/onion |website=Online Etymological Dictionary |access-date=8 October 2024}}</ref>