51 



ALLIUM coeruleum. 

 Blue Leek. 



HEXANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 

 Nat. ord. LiLiACE.«. 

 ALLIUM. Botanical Register, vol. 9.fol.75S. 



A. coeruleum ; foliis linearibus triquetris, scapo tercti, umbellis globosis spa- 

 tha multo longioribus, perianthii laciiiiis acutis filamenta simplicia 

 aequalia subulata sequantibus. 



A. coeruleum. Pallas, it. 2. 737. t. R. Link ^ Otto ahhild.xi. 39. t. 20. 



A. azureum. Ledeb. ic.pl.Jl. rossic. alt. illustr. t. 136.^. altaic. 2. 14. 



A. coerulescens. G. Don monogr. all. p. 34, Romer ^ Schultes syst. veg. 

 7. 1032. 



Originally found by Pallas in abundance upon the salt 

 plains of Asiatic Russia, near the Irtisch river ; afterwards 

 by Ledebour on the Altai mountains, near the fortress of 

 Buchtarminsk, flowering in May and June. 



Although its colour varies in intensity, sometimes being 

 a little paler, and sometimes much darker than in the an- 

 nexed figure, yet the flowers are always bright blue. Why 

 therefore Mr. George Don thought it desirable to substitute 

 for Pallas' very good name coeruleum his own very bad one of 

 ccBvulescejis, it is not easy to conjecture. 



Dr. AVallich's A. ccEruleum^ from Nepal and Kemaon, 

 which I presume is the same as the Himalayan plant, so called 

 by Dr. Royle, is a different species. 



In gardens this is a pretty bulbous plant, quite hardy, 

 growing about eighteen inches high in any rich soil, and 

 flowering about the end of June. It may be increased 

 freely, either by seeds or by offsets from the old roots. The 

 seeds, like those of all bulbous plants, should be sown when 

 ripe in pans, and should not be disturbed before the second 

 season after sowing, during which time they require no care 



