Allium ursinum, known aswild garlic,ramsons,cowleekes,cows's leek,cowleek,buckrams,broad-leaved garlic,wood garlic,bear leek,Eurasian wild garlic, onion grass, orbear's garlic, is abulbous perennialflowering plant in theamaryllis family,Amaryllidaceae. It is native to Eurasia, where it grows in moist woodland.[2] It is a wild relative ofonion andgarlic, all belonging to the same genus,Allium. There are two recognized subspecies:A. ursinum subsp.ursinum andA. ursinum subsp.ucrainicum.[3]
The Latin specific nameursinum translates to 'bear' and refers to the supposed fondness of thebrown bear for the bulbs; folk tales describe the bears consuming them after awakening from hibernation.[3] Another theory is that the "ursinum" may refer toUrsa Major, asA. ursinum was perhaps one of the most northerly distributedAllium species known to theancient Greeks,[3] though this hypothesis is disputed.[4] Common names for the plant in many languages also make reference to bears.[5]
Cows love to eat them, hence the modern vernacular name of cows's leek.[6] In Devon, dairy farmers have occasionally had the milk of their herds rejected because of the garlic flavour imparted to it by the cows having grazed upon the plant.[6]
Ramsons is from theOld English wordhramsa, meaning "garlic". There is evidence it has been used in British cuisine since theCeltic Britons over 1,500 years ago.[7]
Early healers among the Celts, Gaels, and Teutonic tribes and ancient Romans were familiar with the wild herb who called itherba salutaris, meaning 'healing herb'.[7]
Allium ursinum is a bulbous, perennial herbaceousmonocot, that reproduces primarily by seed. The narrow bulbs are formed from a single leaf base[8] and produce bright green entire, elliptical leaves up to 25 cm (10 in) long by 7 cm (3 in) wide with a petiole up to 20 cm (8 in) long.[8] Theinflorescence is anumbel of six to 20 white flowers, lacking thebulbils produced by some otherAllium species such asAllium vineale (crow garlic) andAllium oleraceum (field garlic).[9][8][10] The flowers are star-like with six whitetepals, about 16–20 mm (5⁄8–13⁄16 in) in diameter, with stamens shorter than the perianth.[8]
It flowers in the British Isles from April to June,[8] starting before deciduous trees leaf in the spring. Theflower stem is triangular in cross-section and the leaves are broadly lanceolate, similar to those of the toxic lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis).[3]
Grinding the leaves between the fingers and checking for a garlic-like smell can be helpful, but if the smell remains on the hands, one can mistake a subsequent poisonous plant for a safe one.[12] When the leaves ofA. ursinum andArum maculatum first sprout, they look similar, but unfoldedArum maculatum leaves have irregular edges and many deep veins, while ramsons leaves are convex with a single main vein. The leaves of lily of the valley are in pairs, dull green, and come from a single reddish-purple stem, while the leaves ofA. ursinum each have their own stem, are shiny when new, and are bright green.[13]
It is native to Europe and Asia, where it grows in moist woodland.[2] It can be found in temperate Europe from Ireland east to theCaucasus.[citation needed] It is common in much of the lowlands of the British Isles with the exception of the far north of Scotland,Orkney andShetland.[14] Theursinum subspecies is found in western and central Europe, while theucrainicum subspecies is found in the east and southeast.[3]
A. ursinum covers the forest floor in early May (Riis Skov, Denmark)
It grows indeciduous woodlands with moist soils, preferring slightly acidic conditions. In the British Isles, colonies are frequently associated with bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta), especially inancient woodland. It is considered to be an ancient woodland indicator species.[15]
All parts ofA. ursinum are edible. The leaves can be used as salad, herb,[19] boiled as a vegetable,[20] in soup, or as an ingredient for a sauce that may be a substitute forpesto in lieu ofbasil. Leaves are also often used to make garlic butter.[21] In Russia the stems are preserved by salting and eaten as a salad. A variety ofCornish Yarg cheese has a rind coated in wild garlic leaves.[22] The leaves can be pickled in the same way asAllium ochotense known as mountain garlic in Korea.[23] The bulbs can be used similarly to garlic cloves, and the flowers are also edible. Parts of the plant can be used for preparingVan herbed cheese, a speciality of the Van province in Turkey.[citation needed]
Popular dishes using the plant include pesto, soups, pasta, cheese, scones and Devonnaise.[citation needed]
The leaves are also used as fodder. Cows that have fed on ramsons give milk that tastes slightly of garlic, and butter made from this milk used to be very popular in 19th-century Switzerland.[citation needed]
The first evidence of the human use ofA. ursinum comes from theMesolithic settlement ofBarkær (Denmark), where an impression of a leaf has been found. In the SwissNeolithic settlement ofThayngen-Weier (Cortaillod culture), a high concentration ofpollen fromA. ursinum was found in the settlement layer, interpreted by some as evidence for use of the plant as fodder.[24]
Allium ursinum has been credited with many medicinal qualities and is a popular homeopathic ingredient. It is often used for treating cardiovascular, respiratory, and digestive problems, as well as for the sterilisation of wounds.[25]
^abcdeClapham, A.R.; Tutin, T.G.; Warburg, E.F. (1981).Excursion Flora of the British Isles (Third ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 394.ISBN0-521-23290-2.
^Blamey, M.; Fitter, R.; Fitter, A (2003).Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora. London: A & C Black. p. 320.ISBN978-1-4081-7950-5.
_05.JPG)
_d.j.b_07.jpg)
_d.j.b_02.jpg)
_d.j.b_05.jpg)
_-_Bl%25C3%25BCte.jpg)
