Tulbaghia violacea

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Tulbaghia violacea
Tulbaghia (Society Garlic).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Allioideae
Genus: Tulbaghia
Species:
T. violacea
Binomial name
Tulbaghia violacea
Flowers Tulbaghia violacea2010.jpg
Flowers

Tulbaghia violacea, known as society garlic (also known as pink agapanthus, [1] wild garlic, sweet garlic, spring bulbs, or spring flowers [2] ) is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, indigenous to southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Province), and reportedly naturalized in Tanzania and Mexico. [3]

Contents

Growing to 60 cm (24 in) tall by 25 cm (10 in) wide, it is a clump-forming perennial with narrow leaves and large clusters of fragrant, violet flowers from midsummer to autumn (fall). [4] [5]

Cultivation

When grown as an ornamental, this plant requires some protection from winter frosts. This species [6] and the cultivars ‘Purple Eye’ [7] and ‘Silver Lace’, with cream-margined leaves, [8] have all gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. [9]

Treatment of seeds with a smoke solution has been shown to increase the leaf mass and height of T. violacea seedlings. Seeds exposed to aerosol smoke was also shown to lead to a higher seedling survival percentage. [10]

Edible uses

T. violacea leaves are eaten as a substitute for chives and garlic. In South Africa, Zulu people eat the leaves and flowers as a leaf vegetable like spinach or for seasoning meat and potatoes. [11]

Medicinal uses

Tulbaghia violacea is used locally as a herbal remedy/medicine to treat several ailments. [11]

Due to increasing evidence of its potential as an antifungal agent, large-scale commercialization is anticipated. However, this may make the Tulbaghia genus threatened as it is susceptible to overuse. [11]

Safety and toxicity

Some fatalities and symptoms like gastro-enteritis, abdominal pain, cessation of gastro-intestinal peristalsis, sloughing of the intestinal mucosa, and contraction of the pupils, have been implicated in medication prepared with T. violacea. There has been speculation that T. violacea may cause poisonings but tests on rabbit showed no negative effects. It is possible that reported adverse effects are due to extensive use and/or high dosages of the plant. Adverse effects are generally assumed to be associated with the steroidal saponins and/or the sulphur compounds. [11]

Ncube et al. (2011) found that the leaves and flowers of the plant are edible as vegetables. Elgorashi et al. (2003) used the Ames and VITOTOX tests and found that these parts (leaves and flowers) are non-toxic. [12]

Odor

While the smell of T. violacea is typically described as garlic like, [13] here has been an instance where police were called about the smell of cannabis in a neighborhood only to find out that the culprit was actually a combination of lemon verbena and society garlic. [14]

Pictures

Related Research Articles

<i>Tulbaghia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Tulbaghia is a genus of monocotyledonous herbaceous perennial bulbs native to Africa, belonging to the amaryllis family. It is one of only two known genera in the society garlic tribe within the onion subfamily. The genus was named for Ryk Tulbagh (1699–1771), one time governor of The Cape of Good Hope.

<i>Saxifraga</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Saxifragaceae (saxifrages)

Saxifraga is the largest genus in the family Saxifragaceae, containing about 465 species of holarctic perennial plants, known as saxifrages or rockfoils. The Latin word saxifraga means literally "stone-breaker", from Latin saxum + frangere. It is usually thought to indicate a medicinal use for treatment of urinary calculi, rather than breaking rocks apart.

<i>Hydrangea quercifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae

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<i>Hosta</i> Genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae

Hosta is a genus of plants commonly known as hostas, plantain lilies and occasionally by the Japanese name gibōshi. Hostas are widely cultivated as shade-tolerant foliage plants. The genus is currently placed in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae, and is native to northeast Asia. Like many "lilioid monocots", the genus was once classified in the Liliaceae. The genus was named by Austrian botanist Leopold Trattinnick in 1812, in honor of the Austrian botanist Nicholas Thomas Host. In 1817, the generic name Funkia was used by German botanist Kurt Sprengel in honor of Heinrich Christian Funck, a collector of ferns and alpines; this was later used as a common name and can be found in some older literature.

<i>Tagetes patula</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Celosia argentea</i> Species of edible flowering plant

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<i>Heliotropium arborescens</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae

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<i>Clethra alnifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Allium giganteum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Plumbago auriculata</i> Species of carnivorous plant

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<i>Itea virginica</i> Species of tree

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<i>Phlox paniculata</i> Species of flowering plant

Phlox paniculata is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family (Polemoniaceae). It is native to parts of the eastern and central United States. It is extensively cultivated in temperate regions as an ornamental plant and has become established in the wild in scattered locales in other regions. Common names include fall phlox, garden phlox, perennial phlox, summer phlox, and panicled phlox.

<i>Crossandra infundibuliformis</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Forsythia <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> intermedia</i> Hybrid flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae

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<i>Anemonoides blanda</i> Species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae

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<i>Passiflora <span style="font-style:normal;">×</span> violacea</i> Species of vine

Passiflora × violacea, the violet passion flower, is a hybrid between two species of flowering plants, Passiflora racemosa × Passiflora caerulea, in the family Passifloraceae. The name Passiflora × violacea has yet to be resolved as a correct scientific name; nevertheless it is widely found in the horticultural literature.

References

  1. "#793 Tulbaghia violacea". FloriData.
  2. "Tulbaghia violacea (Society Garlic)". Gardenia.
  3. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN   978-1405332965.
  5. Harvey, William Henry 1837. Botanical Magazine 64: t. 3555.
  6. "RHS Plant Selector - Tulbaghia violacea". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
  7. "RHS Plantfinder - Tulbaghia 'Purple Eye'" . Retrieved 29 December 2018.
  8. "RHS Plantfinder - Tulbaghia violacea 'Silver Lace'" . Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  9. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 103. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  10. Sparg; Kulkarni; Light; Van Staden (August 2005). "Improving seedling vigour of indigenous medicinal plants with smoke". Bioresource Technology. 96 (12): 1323–1330. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2004.11.015. PMID   15792578.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Aremu; Van Staden (16 September 2013). "The genus Tulbaghia (Alliaceae)—A review of its ethnobotany, pharmacology, phytochemistry and conservation needs". Journal of Ethnopharmacology . 149 (2): 387–400. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2013.06.046. PMID   23838476.
  12. Madike, Lerato Nellvecia; Takaidza, Samkeliso; Ssemakalu, Cornelius C.; Pillay, Michael (2020-05-01). "The effect of extracts of Tulbaghia violacea on the proliferation of a murine macrophage cell line". South African Journal of Botany. 130: 185–197. doi: 10.1016/j.sajb.2019.12.025 . ISSN   0254-6299. S2CID   213232640.
  13. "Tulbaghia violacea". North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. North Carolina State Extension. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  14. Kuperstein, Adam (18 May 2010). "Mystery Smell in Weston". NBC Miami.