The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Growing => Identification => Topic started by: compost on November 30, 2013, 05:13:27 pm
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Hi, coincidentally after reading about daffodil garlic I was plodging around a friends garden I came across a daff like leaf just emerging and it smelled very garlicky. Is there anything Allium neapolitanum can be confused with? I have attached a photo of the bulbs I dug up
Thank you for your help
Cesca
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The bulbs themselves look like bluebells. No idea why they would smell of garlic.
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no they are not blue bells, the bulbs are about 3/4" diam and the leaves are lighter green, flat like a leek (rather than round like onion) and the smell is as strong as garlic but perhaps a bit sweeter.
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Garlic chives?
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Wild garlic? Tho that's a spring thing?
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Got this from wiki: No wonder I've not heard of it by that name as it's a non-native in GB
Allium neapolitanum (Naples Garlic, Daffodil Garlic, False Garlic, Flowering Onion, Naples Onion, Guernsey Star-of-Bethlehem, Neapolitan Garlic, Star, White Garlic, Wood Garlic) is a perennial (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perennial_plant) bulbous (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulb) plant of the genus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genus) Allium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium), the onion family. It is native to southern Europe, north Africa, and the Middle East. It is classed as an invasive species (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_species) in parts of the U.S.,[1] and is found primarily in the U.S. states of California (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California), Texas (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas), Louisiana (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana), and Florida (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida).[2] It has been called Nothoscordum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nothoscordum) inodorum.[3]
It is cultivated by gardeners (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardeners) for its ornamental value. It bears large heads of pure white flowers in early spring, and is suitable for borders, pots, or forcing in a cool house. Allium neapolitanum typically grows to a height of between 12 and 18 inches.[2]
There are several varieties of A. neapolitanum, including:- Allium neapolitanum ssp. philippi
- Allium neapolitanum ssp. grandiflorum[2]
Allium neapolitanum seems to have beta-adrenergic antagonist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-adrenergic_antagonist) properties.[4]
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I have a similar unidentified curiosity- a ptch of what we currently call 'garleek'. I thought it might be welsh onion to begin with. Very leek-like growth, perennial, bulb end is like a leek or spring onion, stem leek-like a mid thickness leek and leaves upright to about 18inches. Flowering stalk to 2 feet+ topped with the usual allium onion roof that opens to very pale pinky/mauve cluster of allium flowers.
Young growth is like a mild garlic/onion taste but then goes to a very very strong garlic smell.
The allium neopolitanum description does fit with it's defined bulb
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I can now add to the above that when cooked the garlic smell/tatse vanishes and they taste horrid and bitter...and get binned.
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I can now add to the above that when cooked the garlic smell/tatse vanishes and they taste horrid and bitter...and get binned.
Hope they haven't made you ill ::) :fc:
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Hope they haven't made you ill ::) :fc:
Wise man gets wife to try them first...she's fine too ;D