ALLIUM PALLENS

Family:- ALLIACEAE/Sect. CODONOPRASUM

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Allium paniculatum proles pallens, Allium paniculatum subsp.

pallens, Allium paniculatum var. pallens, Kalabotis pallens. Raphione pallens.

Meaning:- Allium (L) The ancient Latin name for garlic.

Pallens (L) Pale, greenish.

General description:- Bulbous perennial plants, usually smelling strongly of garlic

or onion.

Bulb:-

a) 1-1·5 cm diam.

b) outer tunic membranous.

Stem:-

a) 20-80 cm.

Leaves:-

a) 3-4, 6-16(-30) cm x 0·5-2(-5) mm.

b) filiform to linear.

c) sheathing the lower 1/3-1/2 of the stem.

Flowers:-

1) Spathe:

a) 2-valved; valves unequal, persistent, narrowly ovate or lanceolate at the base,

contracted above into a slender appendage, longer than the flower stems

(pedicels), the longest 2·5-10 cm.

2) Umbel:

a) 1·5-3·5 cm diam.

b) hemispherical or erect and closely parallel ‘bundled’ (fastigiate), compact.

c) 10- to 70-flowered.

d) pedicels, 5-15 mm, almost equal, up to 25 mm in fruit.

3) Perianth:

a) narrowly bell-shaped (campanulate);

4) Perianth:segments:

a) 3·5-5 x 1·5-2 mm.

b) white or pink.

c) narrowly oblong, slightly wider above than below the middle.

5) Stamens:

a) included, with partly exserted anthers;

b) filaments 3·5-4 mm, almost as long as the segments, united (connate) at the

base into a ring (annulus) 1 mm high.

c) anthers yellow.

6) Ovary:

a) narrowly ellipsoid.

b) 2-3 times as long as wide when the flower is fully open (at anthesis).

Fruit:- Capsule 4 mm.

Key features:-

1) Stem 20-80 cm. rather robust.

2) Umbels dense.

3) Perianth segments greenish-white, sometimes tinged pink.

Habitat:- Usually in disturbed habitats (fallow fields, vineyards, olive groves

roadsides), occasionally in open shrubby vegetation. 0-600 m.

Distribution:- Scattered across the Aegean, but widespread in the Mediterranean

area. Rare on Crete currently known from only two locations

Flowering time:- May-July

Photos by:- Marinos Gogolos