Uses
Toxic parts
Edible uses
Notes
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[8].Flowers
Leaves
Root
Material uses
Unknown part
Medicinal uses(Warning!)
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[11]. It is also said to have anticancer activity[11]. 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[12].
The bulb is said to be anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, vasodilator[13][14][15][16][17][18]. The crushed bulb may be applied as a poultice to ease the pain of bites, stings etc[13][14][15][16].Ecology
Ecosystem niche/layer
Ecological Functions
Nothing listed.
Forage
Nothing listed.
Shelter
Nothing listed.
Propagation
Division in late summer or early autumn. Dig up the bulbs when the plants are dormant and divide the small bulblets at the base of the larger bulb. Replant immediately, either in the open ground or in pots in a cold frame.
Bulbils - plant out as soon as they are ripe in late summer. The bulbils can be planted direct into their permanent positions, though you get better results if you pot them up and plant them out the following spring.Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Allium ampeloprasum. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.
Cultivation
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[19]. The wild leek is a rare native of Britain, found only in the south-west and Wales, though it should be hardy in most parts of the country. It comes into growth in the autumn, dying down in the summer, and makes a very pleasant winter leaf, either raw or cooked. It is a rather variable plant, especially in the amount of flowers and bulbils produced. The species produces mainly flowers with almost no bulbils, whilst the sub-species A. ampeloprasum babbingtonii (Babbington's Leek) produces lots of bulbils and almost no flowers[22]. The cultivated leek (A. ampeloprasum porrum) is believed to have been developed from this plant whilst, in Germany and Italy, other forms have been selected for their edible bulbils[8]. The cultivar 'Perizweibel' is often used, the bulbils are solid rather than made up of layers and are popularly used for making pickles[7]. This cultivar does not set seed[7]. Another cultivated form of this plant produces very large, mild-garlic flavoured bulbs that are up to 500g in weight[7].They are known as elephant garlic[7]. The wild leek grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[23][9][24]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[25].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[26].Crops
Problems, pests & diseases
Associations & Interactions
There are no interactions listed for Allium ampeloprasum. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.
Polycultures & Guilds
There are no polycultures listed which include Allium ampeloprasum.
Descendants
Cultivars
Varieties
None listed.
Subspecies
None listed.
Full Data
This table shows all the data stored for this plant.
- Strong wind
References
- ? Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO ISBN 0112425291 (1984-00-00)
- ? 2.02.12.2 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)
- ? 3.03.1 Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press ISBN 0-89815-041-8 ()
- ? 4.04.1 Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (1974-00-00)
- ? 5.05.1 Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing (1976-00-00)
- ? 6.06.16.26.3 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
- ? 7.07.17.27.37.47.5 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
- ? 8.08.18.2 Brouk. B. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press ISBN 0-12-136450-x (1975-00-00)
- ? 9.09.19.2 Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. ISBN 0-88266-064-0 (1978-00-00)
- ? 10.010.1 Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. ISBN 0-7513-020-31 (1995-00-00)
- ? 11.011.111.2 Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. ISBN 0-917256-20-4 (1985-00-00)
- ? 12.012.1 Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0395467225 (1990-00-00)
- ? 13.013.113.2 Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 (1984-00-00)
- ? 14.014.114.2 Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn ISBN 0-600-37216-2 (1981-00-00)
- ? 15.015.115.2 Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press ISBN 0-87857-262-7 (1979-00-00)
- ? 16.016.116.2 Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books ISBN 0-553-23827-2 (1983-00-00)
- ? 17.017.1 Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (1959-00-00)
- ? 18.018.1 Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. ()
- ? 19.019.1 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
- ? Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-217626-9 (1980-00-00)
- ? Davies. D. Alliums. The Ornamental Onions. Batsford ISBN 0-7134-7030-5 (1992-00-00)
- ? 22.022.1 Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press (1962-00-00)
- ? Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins (1979-00-00)
- ? Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd ISBN 0-584-10141-4 (1977-00-00)
- ? Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-304-34324-2 (1993-00-00)
- ? Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. ISBN 0 460 86048 8 (1990-00-00)
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