Allium roseum

Allium roseum, commonly called rosy garlic,[3] is an edible, Old World species of wild garlic. It is native to the Mediterranean region and nearby areas, with a natural range extending from Portugal and Morocco to Turkey and the Palestine region. It is cultivated widely, and has become naturalised in scattered locations in other regions outside its natural range.[2]

Rosy garlic
Inflorescence of Allium roseum, blooming in Brest, France
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Allium
Species:
A. roseum
Binomial name
Allium roseum
L. 1753 not Krock. 1787[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Molium roseum (L.) Fourr.
  • Nectaroscordum roseum (L.) Galasso & Banfi

Description

Allium roseum grows naturally to about 18 inches (46 cm) high in well-drained soils, and in Europe blooms from late spring to early summer.[4]

The inflorescences of A. roseum are umbels. The loose, fragrant florets are about 3 inches (76 mm) long, having six pinkish to lilac tepals.[4]

The smell and flavour of the bulb is powerful enough to drive squirrels and browsing deer away from gardens, where they are planted as ornamental flowers. For this reason, they are suitable as companion plants to tulips and similar species.[4]

Taxonomy

Allium roseum was originally described and published by Carl Linnaeus in his Species Plantarum in 1753.[1]

Subspecies + varieties[2]

Numerous names have been proposed at the subspecies and varietal levels within the species, but only a few are currently accepted:

  • Allium roseum subsp. gulekense Koyuncu & Eker - Turkey
  • Allium roseum subsp. roseum - most of species range
  • Allium roseum var. roseum - most of species range
  • Allium roseum var. tourneuxii Boiss. - Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria
formerly included[2]

References
  1. "Allium roseum". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  2. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  3. "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  4. "Tips on Growing Allium Roseum". Gardening Central. Archived from the original on 12 August 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
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