GARLIC 119 



style is 4^-5 mm., or three-quarters of its length. The 3 outer anthers 

 next open. When the style is 6 mm. long the stigma ripens, and be- 

 comes covered with little wart-like knobs. 



The anthers open inwards, turning upwards. The style is often 

 bent so that the stigma touches the anthers covered with pollen, 

 causing self-pollination occasionally. A bee touches the anthers with 

 one side and the stigma with the other side of the head, which cross- 

 pollinates the flowers when fully advanced. The visitors are flies, 

 bees, and humble bees. 



The fruit splits open, and sets the seeds free when ripe to fall 

 around the flowering stems. 



Garlic is a clay-loving plant, growing on clay soil, or a lime-loving 

 plant, and addicted to a lime soil, as limestone, oolite, chalk. 



One stage of a Fungus, Puccinia sessilis, grows on Garlic. Cceoma 

 alliorum also attacks it, and Peronospora schleideni and Melampsora 

 salicis (willow-rod canker). 



A beetle, Meligethes riifipes, and a Hymenopterous insect, Andrena 

 angustior, are found on it. 



Allium, Plautus, is Latin for garlic, and ursinum, pertaining to a 

 bear, refers to the smell. Garlic is from A.S. gar, spear, leac, leek. 



The plant is called Bear's-foot, Bear's Garlic, Buckrams, Devil's 

 Posy, Garlick, Wild Garlick, Onions, Hog's Garlick, Wild Leek, 

 Ramps, Rams, Ramsden, Ramsey, Ram's Horns, Ramsons, Rommy 

 or Roms, Rosems, Stink Plant. This plant was called Bear's Garlick, 

 according to Tabernsemontanus, because bears delight in it. 



The Chinese employ it against the Evil Eye. It was called Devil's 

 Posy from a supposed connection with the Evil One. To dream of 

 Garlic denoted discovery of hidden treasure, but the approach of 

 domestic trouble. Aubrey says: 



" Eat leeks in Lide [March] and ramsines in May, 

 And all the year after physicians may play ". 



It is regarded as the symbol of plenty by the Bolognese, who bury 

 it on Midsummer Night as a charm against poverty. They used to 

 believe in Cuba that " thirteen cloves of garlic at the end of a cord, 

 worn round the neck for thirteen days, are considered a safeguard 

 against jaundice ". On the thirteenth day at midnight the wearer pro- 

 ceeded through the street, took off his garlic neckband, turned round, 

 and flung it behind him without turning to see what became of it. 



It has long been (and is still) used as a pot-herb, and for gar- 

 nishing. 



