Allium carinatum, the keeled garlic[4] or witch's garlic, is a bulbous perennial flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae. It is widespread across central and southern Europe, with some populations in Asiatic Turkey. It is cultivated in many places as an ornamental and also for its potently aromatic bulbs used as a food flavoring.[5]

Varieties

Numerous botanical names have been coined within the species at the varietal level, but only two are recognized:[6]

  • Allium carinatum subsp. carinatum - most of species range
  • Allium carinatum subsp. pulchellum (G.Don) Bonnier & Layens - central Europe + Balkans

Description

Allium carinatum produces a single small bulb rarely more than 15 mm long, flat leaves, and an umbel up to 60 cm tall of purple to reddish-purple flowers. The flowers are on long pedicels and often nodding (hanging downwards).[7][8]

Distribution

Allium carinatum is considered native to the Mediterranean Region from Spain to Turkey, north to Sweden and the Baltic Republics. It is naturalized in the British Isles[6]

Cultivation

A. carinatum subsp. pulchellum[9] and the white flowering form A. carinatum subsp. pulchellum f. album[10] have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

References

  1. ^ 1796 painting, Figure 38 from Deutschlands Flora in Abbildungen at http://www.biolib.de Author Johann Georg Sturm, Painted by Jacob Sturm; published by Kurt Stüber
  2. ^ Korpelainen, H.; Holubec, V. (2011). "Allium carinatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T172195A6846884. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  3. ^ The Plant List
  4. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  5. ^ "Allium carinatum". Plants for a Future.
  6. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  7. ^ Linnaeus, Carl. 1753. Species Plantarum 1: 297.
  8. ^ Altervista Schede di Botanica, Allium carnatum
  9. ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Allium carinatum subsp. pulchellum". Royal Horticultural Society. 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  10. ^ "RHS Plantfinder - Allium carinatum subsp. pulchellum f. album". Royal Horticultural Society. 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.

Media related to Allium carinatum at Wikimedia Commons