''Tulbaghia violacea'', known as society garlic (also known as pink agapanthus, wild garlic, sweet garlic, spring bulbs, or spring flowers) is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

''Amaryllidaceae'',

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

to southern Africa (

KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...

and

Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope ( af, Provinsie Kaap die Goeie Hoop), commonly referred to as the Cape Province ( af, Kaapprovinsie) and colloquially as The Cape ( af, Die Kaap), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequen ...

), and reportedly naturalized in Tanzania and Mexico. Growing to tall by wide, it is a clump-forming

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

with narrow leaves and large clusters of fragrant, violet flowers from midsummer to autumn (fall).

Cultivation

When grown as an ornamental, this plant requires some protection from winter frosts. This species and the

cultivars A cultivar is a type of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and when Plant propagation, propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and st ...

‘Purple Eye’ and ‘Silver Lace’, with cream-margined leaves, have all gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

’s

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. 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.

Edible uses

''T. violacea'' leaves are eaten as a substitute for chives and garlic. In South Africa,

Zulu people Zulu people (; zu, amaZulu) are a Nguni ethnic group native to Southern Africa. The Zulu people are the largest ethnic group and nation in South Africa, with an estimated 10–12 million people, living mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal ...

eat the leaves and flowers as a leaf vegetable like spinach or for seasoning meat and potatoes.

Medicinal uses

''Tulbaghia violacea'' is used locally as a herbal remedy/medicine to treat several ailments. Due to increasing evidence of its potential as an antifungal agent, large-scale commercialization is anticipated. However, this may make the ''

Tulbaghia ''Tulbaghia'' (wild garlic or society garlic) 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 s ...

'' genus threatened as it is susceptible to overuse.

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. 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.

Odor

It may smell like marijuana or skunk to those familiar with either smell. There have been instances in which concerned neighbors have contacted the police about the smell of cannabis in the neighborhood only to find out that the culprit was actually

lemon verbena ''Aloysia citrodora'', lemon verbena, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family Verbenaceae, native to South America. Other common names include lemon beebrush. It was brought to Europe by the Spanish and the Portuguese in the 17th ce ...

or society garlic.

Pictures

File:紫嬌花-1.jpg File:紫嬌花-2.jpg File:Photographie de tulbaghia violacea.jpg, In cultivation

References

External links

{{taxonbar, from=Q7851979 Allioideae Plants described in 1837 Plants used in traditional African medicine Garden plants Endemic flora of South Africa