Allium ampeloprasum (Cultivated)

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Allium ampeloprasum L. , Sp. Pl. 294 1753. (Syn: Allium adscendens Kunth; Allium albescens Guss.; Allium ampeloprasum var. babingtonii (Borrer) Syme ……………….; Allium ascendens Ten.; Allium babingtonii Borrer; Allium bertolonii De Not.; Allium byzantinum K.Koch; Allium duriaeanum Regel [Illegitimate]; Allium durieuanum Walp.; Allium gasparrinii Guss.; Allium halleri G.Don [Illegitimate]; Allium holmense Mill. ex Kunth; Allium kurrat Schweinf. ex K.Krause; Allium laetum Salisb.; Allium lineare Mill. [Illegitimate]; Allium porraceum Gray; Allium porrum L.; Allium porrum var. ampeloprasum (L.) Mirb.; Allium porrum subsp. euampeloprasum Breistr.; Allium porrum var. kurrat (Schweinf. ex K.Krause) Seregin; Allium pylium De Not.; Allium scopulicola Font Quer; Allium scorodoprasum subsp. babingtonii (Borrer) Nyman; Allium spectabile De Not.; Allium syriacum Boiss.; Allium thessalum Boiss.; Porrum amethystinum Rchb.; Porrum ampeloprasum (L.) Mill.; Porrum commune Rchb.; Porrum sativum Mill.);
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Macaronesia, Medit. to C. Asia as per WCSP;
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Alabama; Albania; Algeria; Argentina Northeast; Azores; Baleares; Baltic States; Belarus; Bulgaria; California; Canary Is.; Central European Rus; Cuba; Cyprus; Czechoslovakia; Dominican Republic; East Aegean Is.; East European Russia; Egypt; Ethiopia; France; Galpagos; Great Britain; Greece; Haiti; Illinois; Iran; Iraq; Ireland; Italy; Kriti; Lebanon-Syria; Libya; Madeira; Mexico Central; Mexico Northeast; Mexico Northwest; Mexico Southeast; Mexico Southwest; Morocco; New South Wales; North European Russi; Northwest European R; Pakistan;
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Common name: Elephant Garlic, Wild Leek, Levant garlic
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Allium ampeloprasum is a member of the onion genus Allium. The wild plant is commonly known as wild leek or broadleaf wild leek.

Its native range is southern Europe to western Asia, and may have been introduced to Britain by prehistoric people, where its habitat consists of rocky places near the coast in south-west England and Wales.[1][2]
It has been differentiated into three cultivated vegetables, namely leek, elephant garlic and kurrat.
(From Wikipedia  on 22.9.13)
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Bulb – raw or cooked[2, 27, 61, 105]. The small bulbs can vary considerably in size from 2 – 6cm[200], they have a fairly strong leek to garlic flavour and are nice as a flavouring in cooked foods[K]. The bulbs of selected cultivars are very large with a mild garlic flavour[183]. Leaves – raw or cooked[2]. A pleasant mild to strong garlic flavour, they are available from late autumn to the spring though they can become rather tough and fibrous as they get older[K]. Flowers – raw. A similar flavour to the leaves but they have a somewhat dry texture and are best used as a flavouring in cooked foods[K]. The bulbils have a mild garlic flavour and make a nice flavouring in salads and cooked foods. Although produced abundantly, they are quite fiddly to use because they are small[K]. They can also be pickled[142].
This species has the same medicinal virtues as garlic, but in a much milder and less effective form[238]. These virtues are as follows:- Garlic has a very long folk history of use in a wide range of ailments, particularly ailments such as ringworm, Candida and vaginitis where its fungicidal, antiseptic, tonic and parasiticidal properties have proved of benefit[218]. It is also said to have anticancer activity[218]. Daily use of garlic in the diet has been shown to have a very beneficial effect on the body, especially the blood system and the heart. For example, demographic studies suggest that garlic is responsible for the low incidence of arteriosclerosis in areas of Italy and Spain where consumption of the bulb is heavy[222]. The bulb is said to be anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, vasodilator[4, 9, 14, 21, 46, 165]. The crushed bulb may be applied as a poultice to ease the pain of bites, stings etc[4, 9, 14, 21].
The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles[20].
(From  PFAF)
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German name Porree
The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum (L.), also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs, along with the onion and garlic, to the Alliaceae family.
Two related vegetables, the elephant garlic and kurrat, are also variant subspecies of Allium ampeloprasum, although different in their uses as food.
The edible part of the leek plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths which is sometimes called a stem or stalk.

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Information on Snow Mountain Garlic from Kashmir_RKC_24122018 : 28 posts by 5 authors. Attachments (1)- Alliums of India.pdf- 306 kb.
I shall be grateful if you let me know the correct identity of the Snow Mountain Garlic. You can get more information in the last paragraph of the attached paper.

Bulbs of Fritillaria cirrhosa (Syn. Fritillaria roylei) are also known as Jangli Lahsun.

It occurs in snow bound areas at an altitude if more than 3000 m.

I think, your enquiry is regarding embedded link in your mail and Fig. 12 in the attached paper. These small-sized  garlics are basically bulblets attached to large bulbs of a cultivar commonly grown in H.P. and J&K. Here in H.P., it is known as dawayee wala lahsun. I think, it is cultivar of Allium sativum. I’ll post some photographs from my collection.

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I am attaching a photograph of the bulb and bulblets of the plant
embedded in the link. These are home grown at my place in Hamirpur (H.P.) at an altitude of 700m. These small bulblets are sold at hill stations as medicinal garlic for rheumatic pains.

Attachments (1) – 2 Mb.

On searching for single clove garlic, I came across the following interesting literature:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50-Elephant-Garlic-also-Rocambole-Single-teeth/202548494041

And it appears to be Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum. Thorough study is required for knowing the real identity of this very costly garlic. It sells @Rs. 1000/- per kg in H.P.  I have never seen it in flowering at my home. Leaves are similar to ordinary garlic.

Many thanks, …, for exploring it further. All the given links refer to elephant garlic (A. ampeloprasum) which does not have distribution in the Himalayas. Also, the images on the web do not match with our garlic. We need to explore more.

…, it is cultivated garlic in H.P. and J & K. So, there will be no distribution records in NW Himalaya.

…, have you got phoyographs of your plant ? Kindly share.

Thanks for your mail. I just got some bulblets which are similar to the image shared by you.

We are cultivating this at my place. I’ll share photographs of plants in vegetative state. I have never seen this in flowering.

Great! I shall wait for your mail.

Yes I also agrees with … it’s looks to be Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum (Elephant Garlic). I have also this species in cultivation at my home. Will add its images soon.

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Here are some images attached.

Attachments (3)- around 450 kb each.
that’s wonderful set of your garden growth.
i think the last picture reminds me of a vegetable we eat in the west a lot, usually in soup…
the leeks i.e. leeks (A. ampeloprasum) and its not any fritillaria
i used to have them in one of my gardens. their bulbets donot look like the one lahsun i got from kasmir once. 

the kasmiri lahsun looked like what Anil showed here a few entrees above.

Thanks … Yes, the last image looks to you much like Leek because I have uprooted/harvested this plant much before its bulb formation actually we harvest them in April/May when the they got developed into a large bulb which may encloses 2-3 bulbs inside, while the images shared by … is of smaller cloves which are always present outside the large bulb and have hard shells.

Also Leek is very closely related to Elephant Garlic and also harvested before bulb formation so my last image looks like Leek plant.

ah, well! thank you. so now you know what i am going to ask???😉. if you could please show us the bulbs and the bulblets in due course at the proper harvest time.

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I have few queries.
The snow mountain garlic is mentioned in the literature articles as Allium sativum or as Allium schoenoprasum. But any of this does not seem to be correct.
As the snow mountain garlic produces single clove, it is supposed to be Allium ampeloprasum, but I am not sure. I read some old discussion in this group where it is also mentioned as A. ampeloprasum.
Kindly help me in correctly identifying this plant. Apart from the single clove, what other features make it a cultivar of A. ampeloprasum?
Apart from this, I did not observe any flowering in this plant. Whether flowering occurs in this or not?
I planted snow mountain garlic during october and observed the cloves were grown during February, while the leaves were still green. Is this common with this plant?
Kindly please help in understanding this plant.

Discussions at Allium ampeloprasum may be of some use. Pl. check.

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Allium sp. Seems to be A.nigrum: 3 images- 1 high res.

Habit:Herb

Habitat:Terrestrial moist nutrient rich soil. 
Location:Kulgam
Inflorescence:Umbel shaped. 
Found this sp. Of Allium on grave yard in kulgam. 
Height:some were 2 feet and some were 3-3.5 feet tall. 

Leaves at bottom.

Please identify this sp. From kashmir

I could not find a match as per existing species in our database as per comparative images at Allium

What are the species reported from your area?

allium ampeloprasum

I have doubts as per POWO.

Was it cultivated ?

Found in wild state

What are the other Allium species reported from your area?

allium ampeloprasum

This you have already stated.

A. ampeloprasum seems good match.

Is it reported as wild from Kashmir?

Yes sir.. I have collected this sp. from wild habitat

My question is there any published record?

Yes sir…. Anzar khuroo sir mentioned this plant sp. In his paper “Alien Flora Of kashmir himalaya”

Than it should be OK.

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References: