Allium insubricum

Allium insubricum, the Lombardy garlic,[2] is a species of flowering plant endemic to the Lombardy region in northern Italy. It is named for Insubria, the ancient name for the area around present-day Milan.[3] The species is, however, widely cultivated as an ornamental because of its striking flowers.[2] Its locus classicus is located in Canzo.[4]

Lombardy garlic
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Allium
Species:
A. insubricum
Binomial name
Allium insubricum
Synonyms[1]
  • Allium narcissiflorum var. insubricum (Boiss. & Reut.) Fiori
  • Allium narcissiflorum subsp. insubricum (Boiss. & Reut.) Nyman

Allium insubricum is a bulbous herbaceous perennial belonging to the genus Allium, which includes all the culinary and ornamental onions and garlic. It grows up to 25 cm (9.8 in) tall. It has flat, linear leaves up to 10 mm across, tapering toward the tip. The scape is hooked at the top, so that the umbel as a whole is nodding (hanging downward). The flowers are few, usually no more than five per umbel, but much larger than most other species in the genus. The tepals are rosy pink.[5][6]

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[2] It prefers a position in full sun.

Allium narcissiflorum is very similar to A. insubricum but found at higher elevation in the mountains. In A. insubricum, the umbel is nodding (hanging downward) at flowering time and remaining nodding when the seeds are mature. In A. narcissiflorum, however, the umbel is nodding at flowering time but erect at maturity.[7]

Like most bulbous plants it is usually planted as a dry bulb in the autumn. However, it is also possible to grow from seed.[8]

References
  1. The Plant List
  2. "RHS Plantfinder - Allium insubricum". Royal Horticultural Society. 1993. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  3. Altervista Flora Italiana, Schede di Botanica, Allium insubricum
  4. Allium insubricum
  5. Boissier, Pierre Edmond & Reuter, George François. 1857. Catalogue des graines recueillies en 1856 et offertes en échange par le Jardin Botanique de Genève 1856:4.
  6. Nyman, Carl Frederik. 1882. Conspectus florae europaeae : seu Enumeratio methodica plantarum phanerogamarum Europae indigenarum, indicatio distributionis geographicae singularum etc. 739.
  7. "Rare Plants UK, Allium narcissiflorum". Archived from the original on 2014-03-29. Retrieved 2014-03-29.
  8. "Allium insubricum". Special Plants Nursery. Retrieved 12 September 2018.

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