Allium calocephalum
Allium calocephalum
Safety & Hazards
Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[ 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. ].
Botanical Description
Allium calocephalum is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from an ovoid-globose bulb around 15 - 30mm in diameter; it produces 4 - 5 leaves and a flowering stem around 30 - 67cm tall[ 2258 Title Flora of Iraq; Volume 8, Monocotyledones Publication Author Townsend C.C. & Guest E. (Editors) Publisher Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform; Baghdad Year 1985 ISBN Description ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sold as a food in local markets. Research has suggested that the plant has medicinal potential. The outer flowers of the plant have very long, narrow tepals, giving the plant a high ornamental potential[ 203 Title Alliums. The Ornamental Onions. Publication Author Davies. D. Publisher Batsford Year 1992 ISBN 0-7134-7030-5 Description Covers about 200 species of Alliums. A very short section on their uses, good details of their cultivation needs. ]. Allium calocephalum has a rather limited range in western Asia and is also harvested from the wild for food. Some of its known sites have shown a decline in population. The plant is classified as 'Near Threatened' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2018)[ 338 Title IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Publication Author Website http://www.iucnredlist.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat. ].