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Europe. This plant, well known to the ancients, appears to be native to the plains of western Tartary<ref>Pickering ''Chron. Hist. Pls.'' 145. 1879.</ref> and at a very early period was transported thence over the whole of Asia (excepting Japan), north Africa and Europe. It is believed to be the ''skorodon hemeron'' of Dioscorides and the ''allium'' of Pliny. It was ranked by the Egyptians among gods in taking an oath, according to Pliny. The want of garlics was lamented to Moses by the Israelites in the wilderness. Homer<ref>''Treas. Bot.'' 1:41. 1870.</ref> makes garlic a part of the entertainment which Nestor served to his guest, Machaon. The Romans are said to have disliked it on account of the strong scent but fed it to their laborers to strengthen them and to their soldiers to excite courage. It was in use in England prior to 1548 and both Turner<ref>Miller ''Gard. Dict.'' 1807.</ref> and Tusser<ref>McIntosh, C. ''Book Gard.'' 2:29. 1855.</ref> notice it. Garlic is said to have been introduced in China 140-86 B. C.<ref>Bretschneider, E. ''On the Study'' 15. 1870.</ref> and to be found noticed in various Chinese treatises of the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries<ref>Bretschneider, E. ''Bot. Sin.'' 59, 78, 83, 85. 1882.</ref>. Loureiro<ref>Loureiro ''Fl. Cochin.'' 201. 1790.</ref> found it under cultivation in Cochin China.
The first mention of garlic in America is by Peter Martyr<ref>Eden ''Hist. Trav.'' 1577.</ref>, who states that Cortez fed on it in Mexico. In Peru, Acosta<ref>Acosta ''Nat. Mor. Hist. Ind.'' 261. 1604. Hakl. Soc Ed. 1880.</ref> says "the Indians esteem garlike above all the roots of Europe." It was cultivated by the Choctaw Indians in gardens before 1775 <ref>Romans ''Nat. Hist. Fla.'' 1:84. 1775.</ref> and is mentioned among garden esculents by American writers on gardening in 1806 and since. The plant has the well-known alliaceous odor which is strongly penetrating, especially at midday. It is not as much used by northern people as by those of the south of Europe. In many parts of Europe, the peasantry eat their brown bread with slices of garlic which imparts a flavor agreeable to them. In seed catalogs, the sets are listed while seed is rarely offered. There are two varieties, the common and the pink.
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''Allium schoenoprasum'' Linn. CHIVE. CIVE.
North temperate zone. This perennial plant seems to be grown in but few American gardens, although McMahon<ref>McMahon, B. ''Amer. Gard. Cal.'' 581. 1806.</ref>, 1806, included it in his list of American esculents. Chive plants are included at present among the supplies offered in our best seed catalogs. In European gardens, they are cultivated for the leaves which are used in salads, soups and for flavoring. Chives are much used in Scotch families and are considered next to indispensable in omelettes and hence are much more used on the Continent of Europe, particularly in Catholic countries. In England, chives were described by Gerarde <ref>Gerarde, J. ''Herb.'' 139. 1597.</ref> as "a pleasant Sawce and good Potherb;" by Worlidge <ref>Worlidge, J. ''Syst. Hort.'' 194. 1683.</ref> in 1683; the chive was among seedsmen's supplies <ref>Townsend ''Seedsman'' 25. 1726.</ref> in 1726; and it is recorded as formerly in great request but now of little regard, by Bryant <ref>Bryant ''Fl. Diet.'' 92. 1783.</ref> in 1783.
The only indication of variety is found in Noisette<ref>Noisette ''Man. Jard.'' 353. 1829.</ref>, who enumerates the ''civette'', the ''cive d'Angleterre'' and the ''cive de Portugal'' but says these are the same, only modified by soil. The plant is an humble one and is propagated by the bulbs; for, although it produces flowers, these are invariably sterile according to Vilmorin.
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''Allium scorodoprasum'' Linn. ROCAMBOLE. SAND LEEK. SPANISH GARLIC.
Europe, Caucasus region and Syria. This species grows wild in the Grecian Islands and probably elsewhere in the Mediterranean regions<ref>De Candolle, A. ''Geog. Bot.'' 2 : 831 . 1855.</ref>. Loudon says it is a native of Denmark, formerly cultivated in England for the same purposes as garlic but now comparatively neglected. It is not of ancient culture as it cannot be recognized in the plants of the ancient Greek and Roman authors and finds no mention of garden cultivation by the early botanists. It is the ''Scorodoprasum'' of Clusius<ref>Clusius ''Hist.'' 190. 1601.</ref>, 1601, and the ''Allii genus, ophioscorodon dictum quibusdam'', of J. Bauhin<ref>Bauhin, J. ''Hist. Pl.'' 2:559. 1651.</ref>, 1651, but there is no indication of culture in either case. Ray<ref>Ray, J. ''Hist. Pl.'' 2:1120. 1688.</ref>, 1688, does not refer to its cultivation in England. In 1726, however, Townsend <ref>Townsend ''Seedsman'' 25. 1726.</ref> says it is "mightly in request;" in 1783, Bryant <ref>Bryant ''Fl. Diet.'' 23. 1783.</ref> classes it with edibles. In France it was grown by Quintyne, 1690. It is mentioned by Gerarde as a cultivated plant in 1596. Its bulbs are smaller than those of garlic, milder in taste and are produced at the points of the stem as well as at its base. Rocambole is mentioned among American garden esculents by McMahon<ref>McMahon, B. ''Amer. Gard. Cal.'' 190. 1806.</ref>, 1806, by Gardiner and Hepburn<ref>Gardiner and Hepburn ''Amer. Gard.'' 40. 1818.</ref>, 1818, and by Bridgeman<ref>Bridgeman ''Young Card. Asst.'' 89. 1857.</ref>, 1832.
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*Accepted name : ''[[Allium senescens]]''
''Allium senescens'' Linn. Europe and Siberia. This species is eaten as a vegetable in Japan<ref>''Gard. Chron.'' 25:458. 1886.</ref>.
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''Allium sphaerocephalum'' Linn. ROUND-HEADED GARLIC.
Europe and Siberia. From early times this species has been eaten by the people about Lake Baikal<ref>Pickering, C. ''Chron. Hist. Pls.'' 753. 1879.</ref>.
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*Accepted name : ''[[Allium stellatum]]''
''Allium stellatum'' Fras. North America. "Bulb oblong-ovate and eatable."<ref>Wood, A. ''Class Book Bot.'' 711. 1855.</ref>
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''Allium ursinum'' Linn. BEAR'S GARLIC. BUCKRAMS. GIPSY ONION. HOG'S GARLIC. RAMSONS.
Europe and northern Asia. Gerarde<ref>Gerarde, J. ''Herb.'' 142. 1597.</ref>, 1597, says the leaves were eaten in Holland. They were also valued formerly as a pot-herb in England, though very strong<ref>Johnson, C. P. ''Useful Pls. Gt. Brit.'' 271. 1862.</ref>. The bulbs were also used boiled and in salads<ref>Gerarde, J. ''Herb.'' 142. 1597.</ref>. In Kamchatka this plant is much prized. The Russians as well as the natives gather it for winter food<ref>Glasspoole, H. G. ''Ohio State Bd. Agr. Rpt.'' 29:428. 1874.</ref>.
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''Allium vineale'' Linn. CROW GARLIC. FIELD GARLIC. STAG'S GARLIC.
Europe and now naturalized in northern America near the coast. In England, the leaves are used as are those of garlic<ref>Johnson, C. P. ''Useful Pls. Gt. Brit.'' 271. 1862.</ref>.
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[[Category:Sturtevant (1919)]]
