mike schreef
Can you guys help me with a question about onions in all its forms
(garlics, leeks, ramsons, chives, etc,) as a foodstuff? From what I can
ascertain, onions and oniony type things occur on just about every
continent, at various altitudes and latitudes but I can't find any types
outside of cultivation in S. America.

I'm interested as to whether pre-Columbian, Central and S.American peoples
used alliums and their like in their diet - I know they did in the Northern
states (Ramps, etc).

Presumably indigenous allium species do exist in S.America (or do they?)
but I just don't know where I might find out. Do you guys know of any info
on South American edible wild onion species or where I might find out?

+ + +
There appear to be no onion species from S-America to have made a big
impression in the rest of the world. A quick look in Mabberley shows Mexico
to be a center of Allium species.

I suppose a revision of Allium will help?
(B.Mathew reviewed Allium sect Allium in 1996)
PvR