Allium ampeloprasum – Leeks.
Also seen as Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum or Allium porrum.
Perennial plants, 30 cm to 1 m high with an insignificant bulb.
There is no thick protective coat on the bulb.
Small axillary bulblets form around the base.
The stalk is made of the tightly packed, overlapping bases of the flat leaves.
In cultivation the soil is built up around the stalk to keep the lower part white.
This can be up to 25 cm long and over 5 cm thick.
Above the white area are the dark green parts of the leaves.
A leafless scape holds a spherical umbel of purple to pinkish-white flowers.
There are many cultivars sometimes divided into winter or summer types.
J.F.
