Fragrance in Allium
Antennaria@aol.com (Tue, 17 Feb 2004 18:41:22 PST)

Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net wrote:

Well, "moschatum" means musky or musk-scented, which of course is not a
particularly pleasurable scent for most sniffers. I don't recall any particular
scent on this species, so I suspect my specimens are inodorous (I always take
note of floral scents). However, an allied species in the same genus section;
Scorodon, namely Allium callimischon ssp. haemostictum; and a delightful dwarf
autumn blooming species in its own right, has flowers that reek at close hand
with the stench of gas. I know only of a couple foul-smelling allium species,
whereas most species are lightly fragrant, and quite a number are intensely
fragrant... in fact a recently named subsection of the genus Allium described
in 1994, is entirely based on fact the blossoms are intensely like hyacinths;
subsection Odoratae R. M. Fritsch.

Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States
antennaria@aol.com "New England" USDA Zone 5
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