onion, Herbaceous biennial plant (Allium cepa) of the family Alliaceae, probably native to southwestern Asia but now grown worldwide, and its edible bulb. Among the hardiest and oldest garden vegetable plants, onions bear a cluster of small, greenish white flowers on one or more leafless stalks. The leaf bases swell to form the underground mature edible onion. Onions are pungent; because they contain a sulfur-rich volatile oil, peeling or slicing them can bring tears to a person’s eyes. Onions vary in size, shape, colour, and pungency. Though low in standard nutrients, they are valued for their flavour. Onions have been claimed to cure colds, earaches, and laryngitis and have been used to treat animal bites, powder burns, and warts; like their close relative garlic, they are being studied for other suspected beneficial qualities. See also allium.