ALLIUM DILATATUM

Family and Genus:- See- ALLIACEAE/Sect. ALLIUM

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Allium guttatum subsp. dilatatum

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

Dilatatum (L) Widened, spread out, dilated.

Bulbs:-

1) 1·5-2 cm diam, ovoid; outer tunics membranous.

Leaves:-

1) 3-4, 1-2 mm wide, filiform, tubular, fistulose, sheathing the lower 1/2-4/5 of the

stem, withered and functional at anthesis.

Flowers:-

1) Spathe, 1-valved, caducous.

2) Umbel, 1·5-4 cm diam, hemispherical, with 15-35 flowers, pedicels, 5-15 mm.

3) Perianth, narrowly cylindrical.

3) Perianth segments, white, with a broad green keel;

a) outer, 4 x 0·8-1·4 mm, lance-shaped, acute or subacute.

b) inner, 4·5-5 x 0·8-1·6 mm, oblong-spathulate, truncate, the keel mucronate

and papillose.

4) Stamens, exserted:

a) outer 3 filaments, 4·5-5 mm, simple.

b) inner 3, with the basal lamina, nearly 3 times as long as the central

cusp, the lateral cusps twice as long as the central cusp.

5) Anthers, greenish.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 3·5-4 mm.

Key features:-

1) Outer perianth-segments, smooth or papillose on the mid-vein; inner widest at or

above the middle.

2) Inner and outer perianth-segments, subequal.

3) Basal part of the filament, less than twice as long as the central cusp.

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Habitat:- Grows on calcareous cliffs, in rocky places and Pinus halepensis ssp.

brutia woodland 200-1000 m

Distribution:- Cretan endemic, probably related to A. guttatum. Described from

material collected in the Samaria gorge and subsequently found also in several

other localities.1)

1) "Atlas of the Aegean Flora" Book1, Arne Strid 2016.

Flowering time:- July-Oct

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis

Status:-

Conservation status (for threatened species): Rare (R) according to IUCN 1997

Protection status (for threatened species): Greek Presidential Decree 67/1981