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Allium vineale – Wikipedia

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**Description:**
– All parts of the plant have a strong garlic odor.
– The underground bulb is 1–2cm in diameter with a fibrous outer layer.
– The main stem grows to 30–120cm tall, bearing 2–4 leaves and an apical inflorescence.
– Leaves are slender hollow tubes, 15–60cm long and 2–4mm thick with a waxy texture.
– The inflorescence is a tight umbel surrounded by a membranous bract.

**Die Back:**
– During summer, the plant dies back after forming flowers.
– Sprouts back in mid-autumn when temperatures drop.
– Easily spread due to dormant bulbs and bulbils.
– Mechanical damage during soil interactions doesn’t affect dormant bulbs.
– Bulbils are knocked off for propagation.

**Uses and Invasiveness:**
– Leaves, flowers, and bulbs are edible and impart a garlic-like flavor.
– Tolerant to herbicides due to smooth and waxy leaf structure.
– Grazed by livestock, it imparts garlic odor on dairy and beef products.
– Considered a pestilential invasive weed in the US.
– Sold as an ornamental plant with unique flowerheads.

**See Also:**
– Allium
– Allium oleraceum
– List of beneficial weeds

**References:**
– The Plant List
– Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Flora of North America Editorial Committee
– Allium vineale County-level distribution map
– Germplasm Resources Information Network

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