Flower for the Day Allium 5-24-21

 We have had allium (Allium sativum)   for many years. Its in the amaryllis family. Allium is the Latin name for garlic and Allium sativum means 'cultivated garlic'. Carl Linnaeus first described the genus Allium in 1753. It is a monocotyledous flowering plant. A monocot is a flowering plant that bears a single seed leaf at germination. They are interesting from afar.

and spectacular up close.

In Praise of Allium

by Denise Levertov

 

No one celebrates the allium.

The way each purposeful stem

ends in a globe, a domed umbel,

makes people think,

'Drumsticks,' and that's that.

Besides, it's related to the onion.

Is that any reason

for disregard? The flowers – look –

are bouquets of miniature florets,

each with six elfin pointed petals

and some narrower ones my eyes

aren't sharp enough to count,

and three stamens about the size

of a long eyelash.

Every root

sends up a sheaf of sturdy

ridged stems, bounty

to fill your embrace. The bees

care for the allium, if you don't ­–

hear them now, doing their research,

humming the arias

of a honey opera, Allium it's called,

gold fur voluptuously

brushing that dreamy mauve.