ALLIUM CALLIMISCHON subsp. HAEMOSTICTUM

Familly:- ALLIACEAE/Sect. SCORODON

Common Name:- None

Synonyms:- Allium haemostictum

Meaning:- Allium (L) The ancient Latin name for garlic.

Callimischon (Gr) Beautifully pedicelled.

Haemostictum (Gr) Blood spotted.

General description:- Very variable medium to tall bulbous perennial.

Bulb:-

a) 1 cm in diam.

b) narrowly ovoid.

c) outer tunics leathery (coriaceous), ultimately breaking into parallel fibres.

Stem:-

a) 9-38 cm

b) circular in cross section (terete)

c) seemingly dead after the leaves wither, remain and produce a small, uneven

cluster of flowers in the autumn.

Leaves:-

a) 3-5, the lowest up to 30 cm x 1 mm.

b) Withering in summer.

c) sheathing the stem almost up to the umbel,

d) thread-like (filiform), slightly channelled (canaliculate).

e) hairless (glabrous).

1) Spathe:

a) 2-4 cm, 1-valved.

b) erect, persistent.

Flowers:-

1) Umbel ‘bundled’ erect and closely parallel (fastigiate), with 8-25 flowers;

2) Stems (pedicels) 7-25 mm, very unequal.

3) Perianth cup-shaped (cupuliform) or funnel-shaped (infundibuliform);

a) segments 5-7 x 1·5 mm,

4) Tepals:

a) white, spotted dark red and with a reddish brown midvein.

b) oblanceolate, truncate.

5) Stamens:

a) included or with anthers exserted

b) filaments c. 6 mm, simple;

c) anthers red before splitting open to release the seeds (dehiscence).

Fruit:- Capsule 5 mm.

Key features:-

1) Stem usually solid, not inflated, and usually slender.

2) Filaments all awl-shaped (subulate) and simple or the inner 3 with a small tooth

on each side at the base.

3) Umbel fastigiate with erect or ascending pedicels.

4) Leaves sheathing the stem almost up to the umbel.

5) Perianth-segments oblanceolate, truncate.

5) Tepals white, spotted dark red and with a reddish brown midvein.

Habitat:- Calcareous cliffs, slopes, in crevices and among rocks between 300 m

and 2100 m.

Distribution:- Endemic SW. Turkey, W. Crete and the Afendis Kavousi area in the

east.

Flowering time:- Sept-Oct.

Photos by:- Yoav Ramon