ONIONS AND LEEKS. 145 



imsay to have taken its name ; and which, from its 

 frequency, is the species most complained of by the 

 dairy farmer, because, though cows are particularly 

 fond of all the onion family, they impart so unpleasant 

 a flavour to the milk as to render it quite useless. 



Our remaining species are, the great round-headed 

 garlic (A. ampeloprasum) which only occurs on the 

 Holmes Island, in the Severn, where it would appear, 

 as pointed out by Sir W. J. Hooker, to be the re- 

 mains of ancient cultivation. The pretty sand-gar- 

 lic (A. arendrium) whose bulbs grow amongst its 

 purple blossoms, and falling to the ground in the 

 autumn, rapidly increase and spread over the locali- 

 ties in which it occurs. These are, mountainous 

 woods and fields, in Scotland, the north of England, 

 and at Portmarnock in Ireland. The mountain- 

 garlic (A. carinatuwi) is an elegant plant ; which, as 

 is observed by Sir J. E. Smith, has less of the garlic 

 scent than either of the other species. 



These three garlics have flat stern -leaves, while 

 the three following have them round. 



The streaked-field, or wild-garlic (A. olerdceum) 

 is frequently used as a potherb ; and is by no means 

 uncommon, says Sir J. E. Smith, in the borders of 

 corn-fields, and in various waste places. The crow- 

 garlic (A. vinedle) occurs abundantly in calcareous 

 soils in England and Southern Scotland, and as 

 Hooker observes, about Dublin ; its leaves are fre- 

 quently used in salads, and it is distinguished, when 

 in bloom, by the protrusion of its stamens to some 

 distance beyond the perianth. The small round- 

 headed garlic (A. sphcerocephalum) has, I believe, 



H 



