Purple-flower garlic
Allium rotundum
Synonyms: Allium rotundifolium, Allium baumannianum, Allium rotundum var. rubicundum, Allium ampeloprasum subsp. paterfamilias, Allium ampeloprasum var. paterfamilias, Allium scorodoprasum subsp. jajlae, Allium cambiasii, Allium scorodoprasum subsp. rotundum, Allium scorodoprasum subsp. waldsteinii, Allium waldsteinii, Allium waldsteinianum, Allium rotundum var. melleum, Allium tmoleum, Allium preslianum, Allium rotundum subsp. waldsteinii, Allium jajlae, Porrum rotundum, Porrum polyanthum, Allium rotundum var. cambiasii, Allium rotundum var. reichenbachianum, Allium rotundum var. erectum, Allium rotundum var. scariosum, Allium rotundum subsp. preslianum, Allium cilicicum, Allium rotundum var. grandiflorum, Allium jajlae var. baidarense, Allium rotundum var. porphyroprasum, Allium rubellum, Allium erectum, Allium rotundum var. waldsteinianum, Allium paterfamilias, Allium rotundum subsp. jajlae, Allium gracilescens, Allium rotundum var. preslianum, Allium scariosum, Allium porphyroprasum, Allium ampeloprasum, Allium rubicundum
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Botanical Description
Allium rotundum, commonly called round-headed leek or purple-flowered garlic, is a bulbous herbaceous perennial in the Amaryllidaceae family forming large clumps of as many as 50 egg-shaped bulbs each up to 1.5 cm long. Linear, channelled, hollow green leaves up to 40 cm long arise from the bulb in spring and persist through flowering. The slender erect flowering scape reaches up to 90 cm in early summer, terminating in a dense rounded umbel that may contain as many as 200 small bell-shaped flowers with deep purple (occasionally white-margined) tepals up to 7 mm across, the anthers protruding yellow or purple. The species is native to a wide Eurasian and North African range from Spain and Morocco east to Iran and European Russia, growing in dry meadows, roadsides, cultivated fields, and rocky slopes, and has naturalized sparingly in parts of Michigan and Iowa in the United States. Like other Allium species, all parts emit a distinct garlic-onion odour when crushed.
Cultural & Historical Context
Traditional American Uses
None Documented
Chemistry & External Identifiers
Important Disclaimer
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.