Crop Type: Garden Crop
Breeding system: Predominantly allogamous
Allium ampeloprasum L. is a species-complex that includes different types (i.e. cytotypes) commonly distributed across the countries surrounding the Mediterranean basin, spanning from North Africa, Southwest Asia to South of England (Bothmer 1970; Hanelt 1990; Mathew 1996). It is commonly recognized that Allium ampeloprasum species-complex is composed by four genepools: wild leek, European leek cultivars, Egyptian kurrat and great headed garlic (Kik et al. 1997).
The wild and primary genepool is variable for bulb size, floret colour, number of reproduction units (cloves, bulblets or seeds) (Figliuolo and Di Stefano 2007). European leek cultivars (A. ampeloprasum var. porrum (L.) J. Gay) are predominantly allogamous plant characterised by a 20% of self-fertilisation (De Clercq et al. 2003); due to their adaptation abilities and tolerance to low temperatures, they are cultivated worldwide (Guenaoui et al. 2013). Kurrat (A. ampeloprasum var. kurrat (L.) Shweinf.) is distributed in Near and Middle East and is largely used in Egypt.
Great headed garlic (A. ampeloprasum var. holmense (Mill) Asch. et Graebn.) is a plant characterised by large cloves and an oversized bulb when compared to common garlic (up to 1kg). Plants are propagated vegetatively since its large flower heads are usually seedless; clove flavour is mild and used as garlic substitute (Guenaoui et al. 2013).
References- Bothmer R Von (1970) Cytological studies in Allium. I. Chromosome numbers and morphology in Allium sect. Allium from Greece. Bot Not 267–288.
- De Clercq H, Peusens D, Roldán-Ruiz I, Van Bockstaele E (2003) Causal relationships between inbreeding, seed characteristics and plant performance in leek (Allium porrum L.). Euphytica 134:103–115. doi: 10.1023/A:1026198910662
- Figliuolo G, Di Stefano D (2007) Is single bulb producing garlic Allium sativum or Allium ampeloprasum? Sci Hortic (Amsterdam) 114:243–249. doi: 10.1016/J.SCIENTA.2007.06.021
- Guenaoui C, Mang S, Figliuolo G, Neffati M (2013) Diversity in Allium ampeloprasum: From small and wild to large and cultivated. Genet Resour Crop Evol 60:97–114. doi: 10.1007/s10722-012-9819-5
- Hanelt P (1990) Taxonomy, evolution, and history. In: Press C (ed) Onions and Allied Crops, Rabi-nowi. Boca Raton, pp 1–26
- Kik C, Samoylov AM, Verbeek WHJ, van Raamsdonk LWD (1997) Mitochondrial DNA variation and crossability of leek (Allium porrum) and its wild relatives from the Allium ampeloprasum complex. Theor Appl Genet 94:465–471. doi: 10.1007/s001220050438
- Mathew B (1996) Review of Allium Section Allium.