Allium siculum
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|name = Honey garlic
|taxon = Allium siculum
|parent = Allium subg. Nectaroscordum
|image = Allium_siculum_in_bloom.jpg
|image_caption = Inflorescence
|image2 = Allium_siculum_foliage.jpg
|image2_caption = Foliage
|authority = Ucria
|synonyms=
{{collapsible list|bullets = true
|title=Synonymy
|Allium bulgaricum (Janka) Prodán
|Nectaroscordum siculum (Ucria) Lindl.
|Nothoscordum siculum (Ucria) auct., published anonymously
|Trigonea sicula (Ucria) Parl.
|Nectaroscordum bulgaricum Janka
|Allium meliophilum Juz.
|Nectaroscordum meliophilum (Juz.) Stank.
|Allium dioscoridis Sm.
|Nectaroscordum dioscoridis (Sm.) Stankov
}}
|synonyms_ref= [https://web.archive.org/web/20210418130956/http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-296603 |The Plant List, Allium siculum]{{ cite journal |author1=Kubec, R. |author2=Kim, S. |author3=McKeon, D. M. |author4=Musah, R. A. | year = 2002 | title = Isolation of S-butylcysteine sulfoxide and six butyl-containing thiosulfinates from Allium siculum | journal = Journal of Natural Products| volume = 65 |issue=7 | pages = 960–964 | doi = 10.1021/np020064i |pmid=12141853 }}
}}
Allium siculum (syn. Nectaroscordum siculum), known as honey garlic,{{BSBI 2007 |accessdate=2014-10-17 }} Sicilian honey lily, Sicilian honey garlic, or Mediterranean bells, is a European and Turkish species of plant in the genus Allium. It is native to the regions around the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and grown in other regions as an ornamental and as a culinary herb.{{Cite web|title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://wcsp.science.kew.org/namedetail.do?name_id=296603|access-date=2021-03-21|website=wcsp.science.kew.org}}
Description
It has showy clusters of gracefully drooping bell-shaped blossoms produced in May to early June sitting atop a tall green stem, to 1.2 m in height. The florets (blossoms), suspended on long drooping pedicels, are cream colored with a maroon streak down each petal, have white flared tips, and are tinted green at the base. The blossoms are followed by decorative, erect seed pods in late summer. The blue-gray foliage is triangular in cross-section and strongly twisting along the length of the ascending leaves.{{ cite web | url = http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/AlliumSpeciesFour | title = Allium Species Four | publisher = Pacific Bulb Society }}{{cite web | url = http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1320 | title = Nectaroscordum siculum | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 2012-03-10 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140329184523/http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1320 | archive-date = 2014-03-29 | url-status = dead }} A penetrating, skunky odor is released when the plant is cut.
Distribution and habitat
Allium siculum is native to Turkey, Iran, Crimea, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, southern France including Corsica, and Italy (Basilicata, Abruzzo, Umbria, Toscana, Sicily, Sardinia),[http://luirig.altervista.org/flora/taxa/index1.php?scientific-name=allium+siculum Altervista Flora Italiana, Aglio della Sicilia, Allium siculum] growing in damp, shady woods.
Taxonomy
Allium siculum is a member of a small subgenus Nectaroscordum of Allium, which consists of only this species and Allium tripedale.{{ cite journal | author1 = Friesen, N. | author2 = Fritsch, R. M. | author3 = Blattner, F. R. | title = Phylogeny and new intrageneric classification of Allium (Alliaceae) based on nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequences | journal = Aliso | year = 2006 | volume = 22 | pages = 372–395 | doi = 10.5642/aliso.20062201.31 | doi-access = free }}
A. siculum comprises two subspecies:
- Allium siculum subsp. dioscoridis (Sm.) K.Richt. (Syn. Allium bulgaricum (Janka) Prodán, Allium dioscoridis Sm., Allium meliophilum Juz.,Nectaroscordum bulgaricum Janka, Nectaroscordum dioscoridis Sm., Nectaroscordum meliophilum (Juz.) Stank., Nectaroscordum siculum subsp. bulgaricum (Janka) Stearn) - native to Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Crimea, introduced in Great Britain{{Cite web|title=Allium siculum subsp. dioscoridis (Sm.) K.Richt.|url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77189485-1|access-date=2021-03-20|website=Plants of the World Online|publisher=Kew Science}}
- Allium siculum subsp. siculum - native to France (including Corsica), Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily){{Cite web|title=Allium siculum subsp. siculum|url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77168633-1|access-date=2021-03-20|website=Plants of the World Online|publisher=Kew Science}}
Uses
= Ornamental =
Allium siculum is grown as an ornamental in flower gardens.{{Cite web|title=Allium siculum Ucria|url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:528868-1|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-20|website=Plants of the World Online|publisher=Kew Science|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906014829/http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:528868-1 |archive-date=2017-09-06 }} It has showy, drooping blossoms, with each umbel (clusters of flowers on stalks originating in the same place){{Cite web|date=2020|title=Definition of umbel|url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/umbel|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-03-20|website=Lexico.com|publisher=Oxford University Press|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102075622/https://www.lexico.com/definition/umbel |archive-date=2021-11-02 }} having up to 30 individual flowers, which are white, pink, and green in colour.{{Cite web|title=Nectaroscordum siculum|url=https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/nectaroscordum-siculum/|access-date=2021-03-20|website=BBC Gardeners' World Magazine|language=en}} Although the flowers initially face downwards, they turn to face upwards just before forming seedheads.{{Cite web|last=Leendertz|first=Lia|date=2011-09-16|title=Plant of the week: Nectaroscordum siculum|url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/16/plant-of-week-nectaroscordum-siculum|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-21|website=The Guardian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521075833/http://www.theguardian.com:80/lifeandstyle/2011/sep/16/plant-of-week-nectaroscordum-siculum |archive-date=2016-05-21 }} It also has unusual twisted foliage.{{Cite journal|last1=Mashayekhi|first1=Saeideh|last2=Columbus|first2=J. Travis|date=2014|title=Evolution of leaf blade anatomy in Allium (Amaryllidaceae) subgenus Amerallium with a focus on the North American species|url=https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.3732/ajb.1300053|journal=American Journal of Botany|language=en|volume=101|issue=1|pages=63–85|doi=10.3732/ajb.1300053|pmid=24384305|issn=1537-2197|url-access=subscription}} Unlike the majority of other Allium species, A. siculum grows well in shade.{{Cite web|title=Planting for Pollinators|url=https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/116574/Pollinator-Plants-shade.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-21|website=royalparks.org.uk|publisher=The Royal Parks|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722105011/https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/116574/Pollinator-Plants-shade.pdf |archive-date=2020-07-22 }}
= Culinary =
In Bulgaria, the leaves of Allium siculum subsp. dioscoridis, which is known by the vernacular names 'samardala' and 'Bulgarian honey garlic', are used in the preparation of spice mixes and salts, and as a seasoning.{{Cite journal|last1=Ivanova|first1=Teodora|last2=Chervenkov|first2=Mihail|last3=Stoeva|first3=Tatyana|last4=Chervenkov|first4=Stoyan|last5=Bosseva|first5=Yulia|last6=Georgieva|first6=Almira|last7=Tsvetanova|first7=Elina|last8=Alexandrova|first8=Albena|last9=Dimitrova|first9=Dessislava|date=2018-06-01|title=Samardala: specificities and changes in the ethnobotanical knowledge about Allium siculum subsp. dioscoridis (Sm.) K. Richt. in Bulgaria|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-018-0618-5|journal=Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution|language=en|volume=65|issue=5|pages=1349–1357|doi=10.1007/s10722-018-0618-5|s2cid=3748750|issn=1573-5109|url-access=subscription}}{{Cite journal|last1=Vrancheva|first1=R.|last2=Stoyanova|first2=M.|last3=Mihaylova|first3=D.|last4=Aneva|first4=I.|last5=Deseva|first5=I.|last6=Petkova|first6=N.|last7=Ivanov|first7=I.|last8=Pavlov|first8=A.|date=October 2019|title=Polyphenol profile and antioxidant activity of wild growing populations of Nectaroscordum siculum ssp. bulgaricum (Janka) Stearn in Bulgaria|url=http://www.ifrj.upm.edu.my/26%20(05)%202019/24.pdf|journal=International Food Research Journal|volume=26|issue=5|pages=1635–1640}}Alexieva, Iordanka; Mihaylova, Dasha; and Popova, Aneta (2013). [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261983558_Evaluation_of_the_antioxidant_capacity_of_aqueous_extracts_of_fresh_samardala_Allium_bulgaricum_L_leaves Evaluation of the antioxidant capacity of aqueous extracts of fresh samardala (Allium bulgaricum L.) leaves.]
Properties
= Lachrymatory agents =
Similarly to onions when chopped, if Allium siculum is crushed it gives off chemicals that make the eyes water,{{cn|date=April 2021}} which are termed 'lachrymatory agents'.{{Cite web|date=2020|title=Definition of lachrymatory|url=https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/lachrymatory|access-date=2021-03-21|website=Lexico.com|publisher=Oxford University Press}}{{dead link|date=September 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{Cite web|title=Lachrymatory agent|url=https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Lachrymatory+agent|access-date=2021-03-21|website=TheFreeDictionary.com}} The lachrymatory agent (Z)-butanethial S-oxide, along with several 1-butenyl thiosulfinates are detected by mass spectrometry using a DART ion source. (Z)-Butanethial S-oxide (the higher homolog of syn-propanethial-S-oxide, the onion lachrymatory agent) isolated from the plant was shown to be identical to a synthetic sample. The precursor to the lachrymatory compound, (RS,RC)-(E)-S-(1-butenyl) cysteine S-oxide (homoisoalliin), was isolated from homogenates of A. siculum, and a closely related species, Allium tripedale, and fully characterized.{{cite book | author = Block, E. | title = Garlic and Other Alliums: The Lore and the Science | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=6AB89RHV9ucC | publisher = Royal Society of Chemistry | year = 2010 | isbn = 978-0854041909 }}{{cite journal |author1=Kubec, R. |author2=Cody, R. B. |author3=Dane, A. J. |author4=Musah, R. A. |author5=Schraml, J. |author6=Vattekkatte, A. |author7=Block, E. | year = 2010 | title = Applications of DART Mass Spectrometry in Allium Chemistry. (Z)-Butanethial S-Oxide and 1-Butenyl Thiosulfinates and their S-(E)-1-Butenylcysteine S-Oxide Precursor from Allium siculum |journal = Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | volume = 58 | issue = 2 | pages = 1121–1128 | doi = 10.1021/jf903733e | pmid = 20047275 }}
A. siculum is not eaten by grazing animals, such as deer; this is thought to be because of its garlic-like smell.
= Toxicity =
A. siculum may be toxic to cats and dogs. In other Allium species, this toxicity has been attributed to the presence of organosulphur compounds which induce haemolysis, resulting in haemolytic anaemia.{{Cite journal|last1=Salgado|first1=BS|last2=Monteiro|first2=LN|last3=Rocha|first3=NS|date=2011|title=Allium species poisoning in dogs and cats|url=https://www.scielo.br/pdf/jvatitd/v17n1/02.pdf|journal=The Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins Including Tropical Diseases|volume=17|issue=1|pages=4–11|doi=10.1590/S1678-91992011000100002|issn=1678-9199|doi-access=free}}
References
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