Allium ampeloprasum var babingtonii Wild Leek RR DD N
Taking a familiar jaunt down this beach, we went looking for a spectacular crop of Silene vulgaris (Bladder campion) which was in flower earlier in the year. Nearby we found a large Alliumin flower. Previously I had noticed it in a very early stage of development or when it was over but hadn't seen it fully grown and in flower. As I looked at this Leek it seemed to me it was almost identical to the ones we'd seen on Guernsey last year. That would make it Allium ampeloprasum a national rarity.
Obviously a mistake. One doesn't accidentally find rarities.
Later I found it was indeed Allium ampeloprasum and had been determined as var babingtonii which perhaps accounts for the looser structure of the flower heads. There are several good sized clumps of this plant all round this area all about 1 m tall or more and it has certainly spread in the last few years.
In this example both flowers and bulbils can be seen.
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| Allium ampeloprasum var babingtonii |
Near Pensarn beach, Abergele 7th July 2005
Added on 10th October 2005, amended 26th Feb 2007, updated 21st June 2008, updated 25th Feb 2010, updated 1st Dec 2014