Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 37 



ONION; GARLIC Genus (Allium). 



The various species belonging to this genus are 

 very strongly scented, pugent herbs growing from a 

 coated bulb. The flowers grow in an umbel at the 

 top of a long scape that is sheathed towards the base, 

 by the leaves. The Wild Leek is peculiar in that the 

 long, broad leaves usually wither away before the 

 flowers appear. The six-parted flowers, that com- 

 prise the cluster, are rich in honey and are frequent- 

 ed by various species of the smaller bees. This spe- 

 cies is found in rich woodland while the other mem- 

 bers of the genus inhabit moist fields or marshes. 



WILD LEEK; WILD ONION (Allium tricoccum) is 

 a woodland plant blooming in May and June. The 

 flowers are in an umbel at the top of a scape 6 to 20 

 in. high. The flower perianth is divided into six 

 greenish-white sepals. The leaves are oblong-lance- 

 shaped, pointed at both ends, on long petioles from 

 the bulbous root, but usually withering before the 

 flowers appear. Found from N. B. to Minn, and 

 southwards. 



A. cernuum has fewer, purplish flowers nodding in 

 a loose umbel at the top of a longer scape. The 

 leaves are linear. It is found from N. Y. to Mich, and 

 southwards. 



WILD GARLIC (Allium canadense) has few pur- 

 plish, 6-parted flowers on slender pedicels from a 

 cluster of bulblets at the top of a scape 10 to 24 in. 

 high. The leaves are grass-like, sheathing the stem 

 above the fibrous bulb. Flowers in May and June in 

 moist meadows, from N. B. to Mich, and southwards. 



FIELD GARLIC (A. vineale) (European) is very 

 similar to the last species; the leaves are linear and 

 round in cross section, sheathing the stem below the 

 middle. Flowering commonly in wet meadows dur- 

 ing June; Mass, to Mo. and Va. 



