ILLINOIS PLANT INFORMATION NETWORK
 
 ILPIN INFORMATION ON    Allium canadense
 
 
 CLASS:    MONOCOTYLEDENAE
 ORDER:    LILIALES
 FAMILY:   LILIACEAE
 SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Allium canadense
 AUTHORITY:  L.
 
 COMMON NAMES:
    WILD GARLIC
    WILD ONION
 
 SYNONOMY:   None
 
 PLANTS CODE: ALCA3
 
 NATURAL COMMUNITIES:
     FOREST
       UPLAND FOREST
         MESIC
         WET-MESIC
       FLOODPLAIN FOREST
         MESIC
       FLATWOODS
       THICKETS
     PRAIRIE
     WETLAND
       BORDER OF LAKE
     PRIMARY
       BLUFF
     CULTURAL
       AGRICULTURAL FIELD
         CROPLAND
         PASTURELAND
       SUCCESSIONAL FIELD
       DEVELOPED LAND
 
 
 SAF FOREST COVER TYPE:
     CENTRAL
        Other Central Types
           River Birch - Sycamore
           Silver Maple - American Elm
 
 NATURAL DIVISION:  UNAVAILABLE
 
 COUNTIES:
   ADAMS           ALEXANDER       BOND            BOONE           BROWN
   BUREAU          CALHOUN         CARROLL         CASS            CHAMPAIGN
   CHRISTIAN       CLARK           CLAY            CLINTON         COLES
   COOK            CRAWFORD        CUMBERLAND      DEKALB          DEWITT
   DOUGLAS         DUPAGE          EDGAR           EDWARDS         EFFINGHAM
   FAYETTE         FORD            FRANKLIN        FULTON          GALLATIN
   GREENE          GRUNDY          HAMILTON        HANCOCK         HARDIN
   HENDERSON       HENRY           IROQUOIS        JACKSON         JASPER
   JEFFERSON       JERSEY          JO DAVIESS      JOHNSON         KANE
   KANKAKEE        KENDALL         KNOX            LAKE            LASALLE
   LAWRENCE        LEE             LIVINGSTON      LOGAN           MCDONOUGH
   MCHENRY         MCLEAN          MACON           MACOUPIN        MADISON
   MARION          MARSHALL        MASON           MASSAC          MENARD
   MERCER          MONROE          MONTGOMERY      MORGAN          MOULTRIE
   OGLE            PEORIA          PERRY           PIATT           PIKE
   POPE            PULASKI         PUTNAM          RANDOLPH        RICHLAND
   ROCK ISLAND     ST. CLAIR       SALINE          SANGAMON        SCHUYLER
   SCOTT           SHELBY          STARK           STEPHENSON      TAZEWELL
   UNION           VERMILION       WABASH          WARREN          WASHINGTON
   WAYNE           WHITE           WHITESIDE       WILL            WILLIAMSON
   WINNEBAGO       WOODFORD
 
 GROWTH FORM:  Monocot
 
 TAXONOMY COMMENTS:
     Species is regarded by some as asexual clone of Allium mutabile.
 
 TAXONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS:
    ROOTS:  Adventitious   (bulbs)
    LEAF ARRANGEMENT:    Basal
    LEAF TYPE:   Simple
    LEAF MARGIN:   Entire
    LEAF VENATION:  Parallel
    LEAF SHAPE:     Linear   Oblong   Lanceolate
    INFLORESCENCE:   Umbel
    FLOWER MEROUS:  3
    FLOWER STRUCTURE:   Complete   Regular
    FLOWER COLOR:   White   Others
    FLOWER PLACEMENT:  Hypogynous
    FRUIT:   Capsule
 
 DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC COMMENTS:
     Umbels have bulblets and or flowers. Capsules are rarely
     developed.
 
 GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:
     ORIGIN:   Native
 
 GEOGRAPHIC COMMENTS:
     Species is probably found in every county.
 
 POPULATION DYNAMICS:
     STATE STATUS: Not listed
     FEDERAL STATUS: Not listed
     COMMONNESS:  Common
     ENDEMIC:   NOT-ENDEMIC
 
 BIOLOGIC:
     HABIT:   Forb
     LIFE CYCLE:   Perennial
     REPRODUCTION:   Sexual   Vegetative
     FLOWERING PERIOD:
         MONTH BEGINNING-      5         MONTH END-      7
     TROPHIC STATUS:  Autotrophic
     SEX:      Perfect
 
 BIOLOGIC COMMENTS:
     Bulblets often replace flowers in umbel.
 
 ECODISTRIBUTION COMMENTS:
     Species is distributed in moist open woods, usually in level ground of valleys,
     meadows, bluff edges, open fields, roadsides, railroads and
     wastes; found in diverse ecological situations; flood plains
     with Fraxinus americana, Prunus serotina, Prunus virginiana, Ulmus
     americana; disturbed prairies.
 
 ENVIRONMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS:   No data entered
 
 FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:    No data entered
 HUMAN RELATIONSHIP DATA:
     EDIBLE:  Yes
 
 
 HUMAN FACTOR COMMENTS:
     Bulbs have sweet flavor; bulblets of inflorescence can be pickled and
     eaten; entire plant before flowering can be boiled and made into
     soup; young leaves can be cut up for salads or garnishes.
 
 WILDLIFE AND LIVESTOCK INFORMATION:   No data entered
 
 LIVESTOCK COMMENTS:
     When eaten or strongly scented air inhaled, species
     passes onion flavor to milk and other dairy products (Muenscher).
     When large amounts are eaten, may cause death.
 
 REVEGETATION PLANTINGS:
     WEEDINESS:   Economic
 
 
 
 REFERENCES:
Mohlenbrock, R. H., ed.  1975.  Guide to the vascular flora of Illinois.
     Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.  494 pp.
Steyermark, J. A.  1963.  Flora of Missouri.  Iowa State University Press, Ames.
     1725 pp.
Swink, F., and G. S. Wilhelm.  1979.  Plants of the Chicago region.  Third ed.
     The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois.  922 pp.
Agricultural Experiment Station.  1981.  Weeds of the North Central States.
     Bulletin 772.  College of Agriculture, University of Illinois at Urbana-
     Champaign, Urbana.  303 pp.
Gleason, H. A.  1952.  The new Britton and Brown illustrated flora of the
     northeastern United States and adjacent Canada.  3 vols.  The New York
     Botanical Garden, New York.
Fernald, M. L., A. C. Kinsey, and R. C. Rollins.  1958.  Edible wild plants of
     eastern North America.  Harper and Brothers, New York.  452 pp.
 
 OTHER REFERENCES:
     Muenscher, W.C.L. 1939. Poisonous Plants of the United States. The
          Macmillan Co. N.Y., N.Y. 266 pp.
 
 END OF DATA FOR SPECIES  Allium canadense
 
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 ILPIN was developed by Louis Iverson*, with data compiled by David Ketzner and Jeanne Karnes
 Illinois Natural History Survey, 607 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820
     *currently employed by USDA Forest Service, 359 Main Rd., Delaware, OH 43015