Nomenclature

Species name:

Allium roseum   L.

Author(s):

Carl von Linné
   Sweden, 1707-1778

Common name:

Rosy Garlic

Maltese name:

Tewm Hamrani

Plant Family:

Alliaceae   (Onion Family)

Name Derivation:

Allium = Garlic (Latin);

roseum = Rose-like colour (=purple-pink) (Latin).

Synonyms:

Allium albidum, A. ambiguum, A. amoenum, A. confertum, A. illyricum, A. carneum, A. incarnatum, A. majale, A. odoratissimum, A. permixtum, A. subalbidum, A. tenorei

Remarks:

Two subspecies are reported to occur in Malta. A. roseum subsp. roseum, is the dominant subspecies lacking inflorescense bulbils whereas A. roseum subsp. bulbiferum has red bulbils in the umbel and is much rare.

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Habitat:

Rocky ground, garigue, fallow fields, wasteground especially near fertile land.

Sources in Malta:

Frequent in several area around Malta and Gozo such as at Buskett/Clapham junction, Mistra Valley, Selmun, Bahrija and Gnejna

Plant Height:

25-45cm

Flowering Time:

Mar-Apr

Like the other perennial species of the Allium genus that grows from an underground bulb and gives off a garlic-like odour when crushed, the Rosy Garlic is no exception. Its bulb have perforated tunic scales and forms numerous bulbils all around.

The plant produces 3 to 4 leaves which are found to sheate the basal third of the scape which grows up to about 40-50cm of height. The leaves are glabrous, narrow (4-10mm), flat, tapering towards the tip, flaccid, without a heel, and reach 35cm of length. Their margins have fine teeth.

The scape has a slender, cylindrical stalk and holds a spathe which is oval and possess a short pointed tip. Just before blossoming the scape has its upper part flushed in a rose-red colour. The scape opens up to form a semispherical flower head, which consists of an umbel of 5-30 flowers (number varies from specimen to another). The flower head can reach a diameter of 7cm in specimen forming dense umbels. Flowers have a pedicel about twice or three times as long as the corolla.

The colour of the corolla varies from pale pink to rose-purple, with the intermediate colour (rose-pink) being the most common. It is composed of 6 identical tepals, 10-12mm long and with a broad, oval shape and a blunt tip. They are sub-erect and overlap each other to form a bowl-shaped corolla; they do not spread out to form a star-shaped structure. The subspecies bulbiferum has a cluster of shiny, spherical, red-wine bulbils at the base of the inflorescence as seen in the adjacent image. These will eventually fall to produce new plants.

The reproductive organs of this Lily are as expected a set of 6 stamens arranged around a central superior ovary. The stamens have white filaments with widening bases. The anthers are yolk yellow. The ovary is spherical with a reddish hue and has a small white stigma and style.

The fertilzed ovaries develop to small ovoid fruit capsules that opens loculicidally into 3 equal parts each bearing tiny black seeds in two rows.

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