Bear’s garlic. It appears in Europe , from southern Scandinavia to the Mediterranean and southern Russia , northern Africa (the Canary Islands and the Maghreb ) and western Asia ( Turkey and the Caucasus ); it has been introduced in North and South America and Australia . In the Peninsula it appears in almost the entire territory.
Summary
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- 1 Habitat
- 2 Features
- 1 Ecological requirements
- 2 Properties
- 3 Uses in herbal medicine
- 4 Similar species
- 5 Source
Habitat
It extends through the humid regions of northern Europe and Asia and in Spain through the north and center. It grows in crops , fallows, meadows, roadsides and stream banks, from sea level to 1800 m.
features
Perennial herbaceous plant with bulbs measuring 16-29 by 14-30 mm, ovoid to spherical, solitary, apiculate, yellowish or greyish, with a fibrous grayish outer tunic; they are generally accompanied by up to 8 bulblets of 9-18 by 5-11 mm, shortly pedunculated that are located in the external part of the main bulb. The stem, 22-100 mm, is solid and has a circular section. The leaves, between 2 and 4, are arranged in the lower half of the stem; They are glabrous, seated, with a 43-160 mm membranous sheath and a 13-29 by 0.12-0.18 cm blade, linear, semi-cylindrical, hollow, with an acute apex and a smooth margin. The flowers are grouped in umbel-like inflorescences, 12-40 by 12-46 mm, spherical, dense, with between 10 and 80 cylindrical flowers and 9-160 bulbils, usually sessile,flowers; sometimes the inflorescence is made up of 2-4 partially fused bulblet heads. The lower part is protected by a spathe provided with 1 segment up to 25.6 by 13.8 mm, ovate, apiculate, membranous and deciduous. The flowers have unequal, smooth and striated pedicels, not thickened, and membranous bracteoles, the external ones ovate and with lacerated apex and the internal ones lanceolate. The perianth is made up of 6 smooth tepals, white or pink in color, with a green or purple spot on the midrib; the external ones measure up to 4 x 1.6 mm, are lanceolate and acute or obtuse, and the internal ones measure up to 3.5 x 1.2 mm and are linear-lanceolate and obtuse. The androecium consists of 6 exerted stamens, with simple and lanceolate external filaments, with the base slightly widened, while the internal ones have a very wide base and are tricuspid, with the lateral branches much longer than the central one. The gynoecium consists of an ovoid, smooth, non-crested ovary with an entire 2.3 mm style. Hefruit is a capsule of up to 3.6 mm, which has 1 or 2 seeds per loculum, angular and black. Flowers from June to July.
Ecological requirements
- Light : Penumbra.
- Temperature : Heat.
- Hill floor mainly.
- Continentality: Intermediate.
- Humidity : Dry soils ; Indicator of moderate dryness.
- Acidity: weakly acid soils; pH 4.5-7.5.
- Nitrogen : Mainly rich soils; indicator of nutrient richness.
Properties
Bear’s garlic has medicinal properties similar to cultivated garlic (allium sativum). The fresh leaves are used both internally and externally for their bactericidal properties. The green leaves can be used in salad. Striped bulbs or macerated in alcohol or water are used in the treatment of infectious diseases accompanied by fever. Like cultivated garlic, the consumption of allium ursinum is an effective preventive of cardiovascular diseases, which are explained by an antiplatelet effect, a moderate inhibition of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and a powerful antioxidant effect
- Its components are similar to common garlic.
- Essential oil with glycosides, allyl sulfide and vitamin C.
Uses in herbal medicine
It is indicated for purifying spring cures and to improve chronic skin diseases . Bear’s garlic acts favorably on the stomach and intestines. Combat both acute and chronic diarrhea . In the same way, it helps to heal heart disorders or insomnia, caused by the stomach.
Similar species
Species very similar to Allium guttatum , which is distinguished by its greater robustness and by the presence of bulblets in the inflorescence that totally or partially replace the flowers. Sometimes a good part of the flowers are sterile. Sometimes mixed populations are found, in which there are specimens only with bulblets or with flowers and bulblets together with others only with flowers.
