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Herbs & Plants

Allium sativum ophioscorodon

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Botanical Name: Allium sativum ophioscorodon
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily:Allioideae
Tribe: Allieae
Genus: Allium
Kingdom:Plantae
Order: Asparagales

Common Name: Serpent Garlic

Habitats: Original habitat of Allium sativum ophioscorodon is obscure. It is grown in cultivated bed.
Description:
Allium sativum ophioscorodon is a bulb growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in).
It is not frost tender. It is in flower from Jul to August.

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The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, insects.Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Cultivation:
Succeeds in most soils but prefers a sunny position in a moist light well-drained soil. Dislikes very acid soils. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 8.3. The bulb is liable to rot if grown in a wet soil. Hardy to at least -10°c. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. Garlic is widely cultivated in most parts of the world for its edible bulb, which is used mainly as a flavouring in foods. This sub-species differs mainly in forming more bulbils on the flowering head, and this flowering head usually coils into 1- 2 loops before opening. Since it produces these bulbils (which make an excellent garlic, though they are rather on the small side) as well as underground cloves, it can be more productive. We often grow this plant for a number of years before digging it up – it forms larger and larger clumps each year, with an abundance of bulbils. There are a number of named varieties. Bulb formation occurs in response to increasing daylength and temperature. It is also influenced by the temperature at which the cloves were stored prior to planting. Cool storage at temperatures between 0 and 10°c will hasten subsequent bulb formation, storage at above 25°c will delay or prevent bulb formation. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation:
Plant out the cloves in late autumn for an early summer crop[33, 200]. They can also be planted in late winter to early spring though yields may not be so good. Plant the cloves with their noses just below the soil surface[200]. If the bulbs are left in the ground all year, they will often produce tender young leaves in the winter[K]. Bulbils, harvested in late summer, are best sown immediately in pots in a cold greenhouse, planting out in late spring after the last expected frosts. They can also be stored in a cool place over the winter and then be planted outdoors like onion sets. They will not make such a big plant in their first year, however
Edible Uses:
Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root; Seed.

Bulb – raw or cooked. Widely used, especially in southern Europe, as a flavouring in a wide range of foods, both raw and cooked. Garlic is a wonderfully nutritious and health giving addition to the diet, but it has a very strong flavour and so is mainly used in very small quantities as a flavouring in salads and cooked foods. A nutritional analysis is available. The bulbs can be up to 6cm in diameter. Bulbils – raw or cooked. An excellent strong garlic flavour, though they are rather small and therefore fiddly to peel. Leaves – raw or cooked. Chopped and used in salads, they are rather milder than the bulbs. The Chinese often cultivate garlic especially for the leaves, these can be produced in the middle of winter in mild winters. The flowering stems are used as a flavouring and are sometimes sold in Chinese shops. The sprouted seed is added to salads.

Medicinal Uses:
Anthelmintic; Antiasthmatic; Anticholesterolemic; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic; Cancer; Cholagogue; Diaphoretic;
Diuretic; Expectorant; Febrifuge; Stimulant; Stings; Stomachic; Tonic;
Vasodilator.

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. The plant produces inhibitory effects on gram-negative germs of the typhoid-paratyphoid-enteritis group, indeed it possesses outstanding germicidal properties and can keep amoebic dysentery at bay. It is also said to have anticancer activity. It has also been shown that garlic aids detoxification of chronic lead poisoning. 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. Recent research has also indicated that garlic reduces glucose metabolism in diabetics, slows the development of arteriosclerosis and lowers the risk of further heart attacks in myocardial infarct patients. Externally, the expressed juice is an excellent antiseptic for treating wounds. The fresh bulb is much more effective medicinally than stored bulbs, extended storage greatly reduces the anti-bacterial action. The bulb is said to be anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, stings, stomachic, tonic, vasodilator.
Other Uses:
Adhesive; Fungicide; Repellent.

The juice from the bulb is used as an insect repellent. It has a very strong smell and some people would prefer to be bitten. The juice can also be applied to any stings in order to ease the pain. 3 – 4 tablespoons of chopped garlic and 2 tablespoons of grated soap can be infused in 1 litre of boiling water, allowed to cool and then used as an insecticide. An excellent glue can be made from the juice, when this is spread on glass it enables a person to cut clean holes in the glass, The juice is also used as a glue in mending glass and china. An extract of the plant can be used as a fungicide. It is used in the treatment of blight and mould or fungal diseases of tomatoes and potatoes. If a few cloves of garlic are spread amongst stored fruit, they will act to delay the fruit from rotting. The growing plant is said to repel insects, rabbits and moles.
Known Hazards : There have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of this species. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible

Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.
Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlic
http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+sativum+ophioscorodon

Categories
Herbs & Plants

Allium paradoxum

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Botanical Name: Allium paradoxum
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Tribe: Allieae
Genus: Allium
Species: A. paradoxum
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asparagales

Synonyms:
*Scilla paradoxa M.Bieb.
*Allium paradoxum var. normale Stearn

Common Names: Few-flowered garlic, Few-flowered leek

Habitat : Allium paradoxum is native to W. Asia – Iran. Naturalized in a number of places in Britain. It grows on hedge banks and waste places on damp soils.

Description:
Allium paradoxum is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from a small solitary bulb to about 20–40 cm in height. It has much narrower leaves, from 5 to 25 mm wide, than Allium ursinum but a similar ‘garlicky’ smell. It is in leaf 6-Nov It is in flower from Apr to May, and the seeds ripen in June. The flower stem is triangular in section. Most of the flowers are replaced by little bulbs or bulbils and the few (usually only one) proper flowers are white.

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The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, insects.Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Cultivation:
Prefers a rich moist but well-drained soil. Plants grow well in a heavy wet clay soil in north-west England, where they are self-sowing. Plants are shade tolerant, they are easily grown in a cool leafy soil[90] and grow well in light moist woodland. Plants are not very hardy outside the milder areas of Britain, they tolerate temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. There are two forms of this species. The sub-species A. paradoxum paradoxum produces mainly bulbils instead of flowers, this form is naturalized in Britain and can spread quite invasively. The sub-species A. paradoxum normale does not form bulbils. It produces a large umbel of flowers in the spring and is very ornamental at this time. It is not invasive. The seeds have an oil-bearing appendage which is attractive to ants. The ants carry the seed away to eat the oil and then discard the seed, thus aiding dispersal of the plant. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. The picked flowers can remain fresh for several weeks. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation:
Seed – best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse or cold frame. It germinates quickly and can be grown on in the greenhouse for the first year, planting out the dormant bulbs in the late summer of the following year if they have developed sufficiently, otherwise grow on in pots for a further year. Stored seed can be sown in spring in a greenhouse. Bulbils, harvested in mid to late spring, can either be planted immediately or be stored and then planted in late summer. Division in summer after the plants have died down. Very easy, the bulbs divide fairly freely and can be dug up then replanted direct into their permanent positions if required.
Edible Uses:
Bulb – eaten raw or cooked. The rather small bulb is up to 10mm in diameter[200], it has a mild garlic flavour and can be used as a flavouring in salads and cooked foods. It is harvested in early summer when the plant has died down and will store for at least 6 months. Leaves – raw or cooked. A leek substitute. The leaves are available from late autumn until the spring, they are nice in salads when they are young, or cooked as a vegetable or flavouring as they get older. The leaves have a milder and more delicate flavour than onions. Flowers – raw. Juicy with a mild garlic flavour, they make a tasty and decorative garnish on salads.
Medicinal Uses:

Anticholesterolemic; Digestive; Tonic.

Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.

Other Uses:
Repellent.

The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles.

Known Hazards: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible.
Disclaimer: This information is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advise or help. It is always best to consult with a Physician about serious health concerns. This information is in no way intended to diagnose or prescribe remedies.This is purely for educational purpose.

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_paradoxum
http://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+paradoxum

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