Allium ampeloprasum - Wild leek (Liliaceae)

Allium ampeloprasum

This relative of wild garlic is common in the Iberian Peninsula and throughout the Mediterranean region, where it flowers from May until July. It is a member of the Lily family (Liliaceae). At first the flowers appear in an almost perfect globe, but as the flowers age they droop forming the rather attractive waterfall effect seen in the picture above. The plant colonises sandy edges of fields and coastal paths but can also be found on fallow farmland further inland. It is believed that the cultivated leek was derived from this species.

In the UK this wildflower is rare and restricted to the coastal areas of the south west of England and the West of Ireland.

This specimen was photographed in the Algarve in May.