SPECIES DESCRIPTION
ALLIUM NIGRUM
Family and Genus:- See- ALLIACEAE/Sect. MELANOCROMMYUM
Common name:- Black garlic
Homotypic Synonyms:- Caloscordum nigrum, Kalabotis nigrum, Molium
nigrum.
Meaning:- Allium (L) The ancient Latin name for garlic.
Nigrum (Gr) Black.
General description:- Medium to tall bulbous perennial
Bulbs:-
1) 2·5-3 cm in diam, ovoid; outer tunics membranous.
Stems:-
1) 60-90 cm, leafless, terete.
Leaves:-
1) 3-6, all basal, up to 70 mm broad, broadly-elongated, tapering to a pointed at the
tip, much shorter than the stem.
Flowers:-
1) 5-10 cm in diam, hemispherical or fastigiate, many-flowered, very rarely with
bulbils.
2) Pedicels, 25-45 mm.
3) Perianth, stellate at anthesis, later deflexed;
a) segments, 1·5-3 mm wide, spreading, elliptical, obtuse, flat, patent, not
becoming deflexed. usually white or cream.
4) Stamens, shorter than the perianth-segments.
a) filaments, c. 5 mm, connate into an annulus at the base, 1-1·5 mm wide and
triangular at the base, narrowed above into a subulate or very narrowly triangular
filament.
6) Ovary, subglobose, smooth.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 6-8 mm.
Key features:-
1) Leaves, several, 15-50 mm wide.
2) Perianth-segments, 1·5-3 mm wide, narrowly elliptical, obtuse, patent at
anthesis.
3) Filaments subulate, 1-1·5 mm wide at the base, abruptly narrowed above.
Habitat:- Cultivated fields and traditionally managed olive groves and vineyards.
rarely in seminatural habitats. 0-1200 m.
Distribution:- E Aegean area, but vanishing with modern agricultural practices.
Scattered elsewhere in Greece. -Widespread in the Mediterranean area, extending
to Cyprus and W Syria. Still fairly common in Crete, where it is widespread.
Flowering time:- Mar-June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
