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• Alliaceae
• Allium
• Allium tricoccum

Allium tricoccum — ramps, wild leek

Facts

Wild leek is found in rich, moist forests and high terrace floodplains throughout New England. There are two varieties in our area: the first (var. tricoccum) is common and found in all New England states, while the other (var. burdickii) is rather rare and found only in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Wild leek is one of the most over-harvested wild foods, leading to declines in some areas as several studies have shown. A recent study concluded that a 10% harvest once every ten years is the maximum sustainable harvest. If bulbs are to be harvested, leave behind the base of the bulb (with the attached roots), collect only after the seeds have ripened, and use them to reseed the soil disturbed during harvesting.

Habitat

Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests, talus and rocky slopes

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Axillary bulblets

  there are no bulblets being produced in axils

• Flowers

  Anther attachment

  the anther is attached by its base to the filament

  Anther color

  the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are bulblets where some or all of the flowers would normally be located

  Carpels fused

  the carpels are fused (the number of carpels equals the number of locules)

  Filament surface

  the filament surface has no hairs or scales on it

  Flower bract length

  10–30 mm

  Flower bracts

  there are bracts associated with the flower

  Flower number

  6–50

  Flower orientation

  the flowers point upward or spread or curve outward

  Flower petal color

  • white
  • yellow

  Flower petal length

  4–7 mm

  Flower shape

  the flower is bell-shaped

  Flower symmetry

  there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)

  Flowering stem width

  2–4 mm

  Form of style

  the style is knob-like at the tip, and unbranched

  Fringed petal edges

  the petals are not fringed

  Hairs on flower stalk

  the flower stalk has no hairs on it

  Inflorescence hair glands

  the axis of the inflorescence has no hairs on it

  Inflorescence type

  the inflorescence is an umbel (with an axis so short it appears the flowers all originate from the same point)

  Length of flower stalk

  10–25 mm

  Length of peduncle

  120–350 mm

  Marks on petals

  there are no noticeable marks on the petals

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of carpels

  3

  Number of pistils

  1

  Number of sepals and/or petals

  there are six petals, sepals or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  1

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes two cycles of petal- or sepal-like structures

  Petal appearance

  the petals are thin and delicate, and pigmented (colored other than green or brown)

  Petal base

  the petal narrows gradually or does not narrow at the base

  Petal fusion

  the perianth parts are separate

  Petal hairs on inner/upper surface

  there are no hairs on the inner/upper petal surface

  Sepal appearance

  the sepals resemble petals in color and texture

  Sepal length

  4–7 mm

  Sepal orientation

  the sepals are pressed against the plant, or jutting stiffly upward

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  the sepals are separate from one another

  Spathe

  • the plant does not have a spathe
  • the plant has a spathe surrounding the flower spike

  Spathe form

  • NA
  • the spathe just wraps around the base of the spike of flowers

  Stamen length

  4–7 mm

  Stamen number

  6

  Stamen position relative to petals

  NA

  Stamen types

  the stamens within a cycle are all similar

  Stamens fused

  the stamens are not fused to one another

  Stamens fused outwards

  the stamens are fused to the petals or tepals at or near their bases

  Style petal-like

  the style is not broad and flattened like a petal

  Tepals

  the petals and sepals are similar in size and color

• Fruits or seeds

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule ridges

  there are three ribs or wings on the capsule

  Fruit compartments

  there are three locules in the fruit

  Fruit cross-section

  the fruit is round in cross-section

  Fruit stalk orientation

  the fruits point upward or spread or curve outward

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is a capsule (splits along two or more seams, apical teeth or pores when dry, to release two or more seeds)

  Other markings on berry

  NA

• Glands or sap

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

• Growth form

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  Root septa

  the roots do not have transverse septa

  Underground organs

  • the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
  • the plant has one or more swollen storage organs underground, such as bulbs, tubers or corms

• Leaves

  Hairs on underside of leaf blade

  the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs

  Hairs on upper side of leaf blade

  the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs

  Leaf arrangement

  basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant

  Leaf blade basal lobes

  the leaf blades do not have basal lobes

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

  Leaf blade base shape

  the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow

  Leaf blade bloom

  the underside of the leaf blade has no noticeable waxy or powdery bloom

  Leaf blade cross-section

  the leaf blade is more or less flat in cross-section

  Leaf blade faces

  both surfaces of the leaf blade are exposed

  Leaf blade form

  Fully-formed (i.e., expanded), +/- green leaf blades are found somewhere on the plant

  Leaf blade length

  150–400 mm

  Leaf blade orientation

  the upper surface of the leaf blade faces the stem of the plant

  Leaf blade shape

  • the leaf blade is elliptic (widest near the middle and tapering at both ends)
  • the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf blade tip

  the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)

  Leaf blade veins

  the lateral veins are parallel or slightly arched in the direction of the tip

  Leaf blade width

  15–90 mm

  Leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets

  Leaflet number

  0

  Stipule twining

  NA

  Stipules

  there are no stipules on this plant

• Place

  Habitat

  terrestrial

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • forests
  • river or stream floodplains
  • talus or rocky slopes

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the leaves smell of onion or garlic

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Flowering stem growth form

  the flowering stem is held upright

  Flowering stem leaves

  there are no true leaves on the flowering stem

  Stem hairs

  the stem is nearly or completely hairless

Wetland status

Usually occurs in non-wetlands, but occasionally in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACU)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae