This study has demonstrated the molecular variation of 5S rRNA genes in 15 Allium subgenus Rhizirideum and 1 Allium subg. Allium. For cloning of the 5S rRNA genes, PCR products were obtained from amplification with oligonucleotide primers which were derived from the conserved coding region of 5S rRNA genes. These amplified PCR products were cloned and identified by FISH and sequence analysis. The 5S rRNA loci were primarily located on chromosomes 5 and/or 7 in diploid species and various chromosomes in alloploid species. The size of the coding region of 5S rRNA genes was 120 bp in all the species and the sequences were highly conserved within Allium species. The sizes of nontranscribed spacer (NTS) region were varied from 194 bp (A. dektiude-fustykisum, 2n=16) to 483 bp (A. sativum). Two kinds of NTS regions were observed in A. victorialis var. platyphyllum a diploid, A. wakegi an amphihaploid, A. sacculiferum, A. grayi, A. deltoide-fistulosum and A. wenescens all allotetraploids, while most diploid species showed only one NTS region. The species containing two components of NTS region were grouped with different diploid species in a phylogenetic tree analysis using the sequences of 5S rRNA genes and adjacent non-coding regions.