Wild Garlic

Description

Tulbaghia (wild garlic or society garlic) a monocotyledonous genus of herbaceous perennial bulbs native to Africa, belonging to the Amaryllis family. It is one of only two known genera in the society garlic tribe within the onion subfamily. The genus was named for Ryk Tulbagh (1699-1771), one time governor of The Cape of Good Hope. Most species are native to the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. As is common to many members of the onion tribe, when their leaves are bruised they produce a distinct garlic smell, hence its common name. The flowers are borne in an umbel. Each flower has six narrow tepals. A characteristic of the genus is that there is a "corona" - a raised crown-like structure - at the centre of the flower. This may be small and scale-like or may be larger, somewhat like the trumpet of a small narcissus.