There is no such thing as "rakkyo", the correct pronunciation is rakkyo pronounced jiào tóu.

Skykyo is a perennial bulbous plant of the genus Shallot in the family Liliaceae. The bulbs of this species are several aggregated, narrowly ovate, with the outer skin of the bulb white or reddish, membranous, and the leaves 2-5, terete with 3-5 ribs, hollow, nearly as long as the scape. Scape lateral, terete, 20--40 cm tall, proximally sheathed by leaf sheaths; umbel subhemispherical, looser; flowers lilac to dark purple; tepals broadly elliptic to suborbicular, apically obtuse-rounded; ovary obovoid, base of ventral suture line with curtains of sunken nectaries. Flowering and fruiting October-November.

Growth habit:

The rakkyo is highly adaptable, and can be grown in soil pH between 6.0-8.0, with pH 6.5-7.5 being the most suitable. The species can adapt to weak light, to well-drained, fertile loamy soil or sandy soil is appropriate. The severe cold of winter stagnates the birth of rakkyo.

Growth begins again in April of the following year. The species in the cooler climate conditions, the development of the better, and the leaves are suitable for growth in cold climates, the fertility of the appropriate temperature 15-21 ℃, in the 5-10 ℃ is still slow growth, bulb expansion appropriate temperature of 20 ℃, the temperature is higher than 30 ℃ above the dormant.