Allium globosum Marschall von Bieberstein ex Redouté var. albidum Regel; A. hymenorhizum Ledebour var. tianschanicum (Ruprecht) Regel; A. macrorhizon Regel (1875), not A. macrorrhizum Boissier (1854).

Bulbs clustered, cylindric-conical to subcylindric, (0.8--)1--2 cm in diam.; tunic brown, thinly leathery, splitting, Leaves narrowly linear, usually shorter than scape, 1--1.5 mm wide, adaxially channeled, margin ciliate-denticulate. Scape 15--25 cm, terete, covered with leaf sheaths only at base. Spathe persistent; beak equaling limb. Umbel hemispheric to subglobose, usually densely many flowered. Pedicels equal, slightly shorter to slightly longer than perianth, bracteolate. Perianth pale yellow or white and becoming red; segments ovate, 5--6 mm, apex obtuse; outer ones sometimes retuse at apex; inner ones ca. 1.2 × as long as outer. Filaments subulate, equal, 1.25--1.5 as long as perianth segments, connate at base and adnate to perianth segments. Ovary subglobose, with small, concave nectaries at base. Style exserted. Fl. and fr. Jul--Sep. 2 n = 16.

Scrub in subalpine zone, meadows. W Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan].