Allium oleraceum L. (Alliaceae) (Finland, Lammi, Halila, 1989).
– Image: Harri Harmaja (scanned from dried specimen).
–
The deviating habitat is what attaches
interest to the plants in the image. They were found among moss on a boulder, in
eutrophic, moist brook side woods. Anemone ranunculoides, Humulus lupulus, Impatiens
noli-tangere, Viola selkirkii and Anomodon rugelii
were among the accompanying species. Later I found another stand near-by, in the
mull of the shady lower terraces of the adjacent eutrophic rocky hill, quite
close to larger ferns such as Matteuccia struthiopteris. (One stand was
also found near the top of the rock in a habitat of the usual kind; from here,
the species was already known previously.)
The first deviating occurrence was already found by me in 1971 in Karkkila, Haavisto. It consisted of two small stands
in a deep, shady brook valley with a notable stand of Ulmus glabra trees. The plants grew in
bare eutrophic mull near the water (the sites apparently being flooded every
spring), accompanied by tall ferns, Elymus caninus, Humulus lupulus, Lonicera xylosteum,
Milium effusum, Poa remota, Pulmonaria obscura, Stachys sylvatica and Stellaria nemorum. The place is in fairly
natural condition. This is the only occurrence of A. oleraceum known in
the commune of Karkkila.
A second locality of this kind was detected by me in 1973 in Turku. Sterile plants were found in shady deciduous rich woods in the famous
island of Ruissalo, accompanied with e. g. Quercus robur, Aegopodium
podagraria, Corydalis solida, and Hepatica nobilis.
In all three Finnish localities, the A. oleraceum
plants of the ecologically deviating habitats were sterile. The Karkkila and
Lammi occurrences have been checked repeatedly during years but flowering was
never observed. The
shoots were detected in the spring; in early summer they wither rather soon. The
sterile plants remind much the sterile shoots of Gagea minima which is
sometimes found in similar habitats during the same season, but the onion smell of the bruised leaves
and the colour of the bulbs easily distinguish the species. I made growing
experiments of long duration with the Karkkila plants both in home and in
glasshouse: the plants kept on growing but would not flower.
The field garlic is known as a species of, often
human-influenced, dry or mesic, half-open habitats, bushes, rocky hills and
(rarely somewhat moist) meadows. It is regarded as an indicator of old
settlement
Created April 6, 2004. Latest revision July 5, 2004.