NEAPOLITAN GARLIC

Guernsey Star-of-Bethlehem

Allium neapolitanum

Onion & Garlic Family [Alliaceae]

month8mar month8march month8apr month8april month8may

status
statusZneophyte
 
flower
flower8white
 
inner
inner8yellow
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ6
 
stem
stem8triangular
 
smell
smell8garlic
garlic
sex
sexZbisexual
 

24th Sept 2009, a garden, Swinton, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Grows up to half a metre in length.


24th Sept 2009, a garden, Swinton, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Does not form a full 4π steradian globular cluster, but rather less than a hemisphere, perhaps only π steradians.


24th Sept 2009, a garden, Swinton, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
With six white petals (actually tepals), and unusually, not arranged in two rows of three partially over-lapping tepals typical of many garlics, but in a six-sided star similar to those of some other white-flowered Garlics Ramsons (Allium ursinum) and Hairy Garlic (Allium subhirsutum).


24th Sept 2009, a garden, Swinton, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Six stamens shorter than the tepals. A central green central ovary expands as the flower matures.


24th Sept 2009, a garden, Swinton, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Pollen is yellow-coloured; anthers that have lost their pollen are fawn-coloured, becoming grey. The central fruit enlarges as the tepals drop off (central lower).


24th Sept 2009, a garden, Swinton, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
The three-lobed central fruit enlarges as the tepals drop off.


24th Sept 2009, a garden, Swinton, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
The fruit possibly contains three seeds (or perhaps 6?).


24th Sept 2009, a garden, Swinton, Gtr M/cr. Photo: © RWD
Leaves are long and linear and keeled for stiffness. The flower stems are isosceles triangle in cross-section.


18th April 2014, Guernsey. Photo: © Maryline Calabrin


18th April 2014, Guernsey. Photo: © Maryline Calabrin


Many similarities to : Hairy Garlic (Allium subhirsutum) which also has white flowers but that has a round stem (rather than isosceles triangular) that is also hairy, and the leaves are not folded as much lengthways (keeled).

Slight resemblance to : Ramsons (Allium ursinum) but that is much shorter and has broad lanceolate leaves rather than long linear ones.

A garden plant that sometimes escapes into the wild mainly in the South of the UK. It is native to Southern Europe including Italy (Naples); it is also native to South Africa.

The above photos possibly correspond to one of the garden sub-species, such as Allium neapolitanum ssp. philippi or Allium neapolitanum ssp. grandiflorum which are probably taller than the half-metre of Allium neapolitanum itself.


  Allium neapolitanum  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Alliaceae  

Distribution
 family8Onion & Garlic family8Alliaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Allium
Allium
(Onions)

NEAPOLITAN GARLIC

Guernsey Star-of-Bethlehem

Allium neapolitanum

Onion & Garlic Family [Alliaceae]