THREE-CORNERED GARLIC

WHITE BLUEBELL

Allium triquetrum

Onion & Garlic [Alliaceae]

month8feb month8mar month8march month8apr month8april month8may month8jun month8june

flower
flower8bicolour
 
flower
flower8white
 
flower
flower8green
 
inner
inner8yellow
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ6
 
type
typeZtrumpet
 
stem
stem8triangular
 
smell
smell8garlic
garlic

8th May 2011, graveyard, Ballykeerogue, Ireland. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
Similar to Bluebell, but white and with Shorter and three-angled stems.


8th May 2011, graveyard, Ballykeerogue, Ireland. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
Un-like Bluebell has flowers on longer stalks. Flowers white and with splashes of green as do Snowdrops, but as narrow stripes on the inside of the trumpet-like flowers rather than as green chevrons on the outside of Snowdrops.


8th May 2011, graveyard, Ballykeerogue, Ireland. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
Six petals (actually tepals), flared trumpet-like, with a narrow green stripe down the centre on the inside of the petal, stopping short of the pointed tip. Six stamens inside with light-yellow anthers.


8th May 2011, graveyard, Ballykeerogue, Ireland. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
Flower horn has a straight conical section in the centre before flaring out horn-like.


8th May 2011, graveyard, Ballykeerogue, Ireland. Photo: © Paula O'Meara
Leaves have a semi-circular indentation running along the centre of the leaf, like a grove for a marble. Leaves sharply keeled for rigidity, but curly near the top.


Some similarities to :

  • Ransoms (Allium ursinum) for that too has triangularstems (but they are isosceles triangles, rather than the right-angled triangles of Three-cornered Garlic). Ransoms have broader leaves, and flowers that are no Daffodil-shaped.
  • Few-flowered Garlic (Allium paradoxum) but that has square stems, fewer flowers and, lacking a longish conical section to the flowers, with the flowers more abruptly flared.

Slight resemblance to : many other Garlic species flowers.

No relation to : Three-cornered hat [a Ballet by Falla] nor to Three-nerved Sandwort nor Three-lobed Crowfoot [un-related plants].

Inhabits dampish places where it is warmer. Considered a problem plant in some areas where it spreads un-controllably. Occupies mainly southern parts of the UK, mainly within 50 miles of the sea, with far fewer inland locations. The proximity of the sea keeps it warmer in winter and more able to propagate.

The flowers are all initially en-wrapped within two white papery bracts, which open to reveal between three and 15 drooping trumpet-shaped flowers on stalks that are longer than are the flowers. Like all alliums, grows from a bulb. The fruit is green, between 4mm and 6mm across and globular. The seeds within are black, oblong and between 2mm - 3mm long.

When damaged, smells of garlic. Both leaves and bulbs can be eaten, although they are moderately poisonous if eaten to excess, especially to dogs.

Like many Allium species Three-Cornered Garlic contains Cystein Sulphoxides such as Methiin, Alliin, Isoalliin and Propiin, with the first three dominating.

ANY TEXT GOES HERE


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

THREE-CORNERED GARLIC

WHITE BLUEBELL

Allium triquetrum

Onion & Garlic [Alliaceae]

WildFlowerFinder Homepage