About Allium rotundum L.
Allium rotundum, commonly called round-headed leek or purple-flowered garlic, is a species of wild onion native to Eurasia and North Africa. Its native geographic range stretches from Spain and Morocco east to Iran and European Russia. It has become sparingly naturalized in parts of the United States, specifically in the states of Michigan and Iowa. This species grows in disturbed habitats, including roadsides and cultivated fields. Allium rotundum forms large clumps that can hold up to 50 egg-shaped bulbs, each of which reaches up to 1.5 cm in length. Its leaves grow up to 40 cm long. Its scapes can reach up to 90 cm tall. From a distance, the umbels of Allium rotundum appear round, and they can contain as many as 200 individual flowers. The flowers are bell-shaped and up to 7 mm across; their tepals are purple, sometimes with white margins. The anthers can be yellow or purple, and the pollen can be yellow or white.
