Onions are among some of man's most ancient cultivated crops.
Depictions of onion bulbs, and models of garlic, have been found in Egypt that are more than 5000 years old. Because these plants have been cultivated for so long, there exists today a huge range of cultivars. These have been developed over the centuries to fit the diverse climates of the world's people. The genus name for onions is Allium , the Latin name for garlic. It is a large genus with more than 700 species of perennials and biennials, many producing the characteristic smell of onions when bruised.