Allium chamaemoly L.

Spice Fruit detail Flower Fruit

Family: LILIACEAE

Genus: Allium

Province distribution: Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Girona.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): South Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Geophyte.

Habitats: Therophytic calicole fields. Therophytic communities.

Characteristics: This is a difficult Allium to see because its cycle takes place in winter: it flowers and bears fruit in December and January; during spring it goes dry and therefore becomes invisible. It forms a rosette of leaves all on the ground, with long silky hairs on the margin. The white flowers also come out just above ground; the fruit is a greenish spherical capsule which is slightly pedunculated. It lives in the clearings in the garrigues (Mediterranean woodland) in the islands, together with other late flowering geophytes such as Merendera filifolia, Narcissus serotinus, etc.