Family |
Caryophyllaceae
Allium pallens
L.
Allium pallens L.
First published in Species Plantarum, ed. 2: 427 (1762)
• Life-form & habit: Perennial bulbous herb with an ovoid bulb surrounded by papery whitish tunics; scape erect, slender, 20–50 cm, leafless above.
• Leaves: Linear to narrowly lanceolate, slightly canaliculate, shorter than the scape; margins entire, usually glabrous.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Umbel hemispherical to subglobose, moderately many-flowered. Spathe 2-valved. Pedicels subequal. Perianth white to pale pink, 4–6 mm, campanulate; tepals obtuse to subacute, slightly keeled. Stamens slightly exserted.
• Fruit: Capsule ovoid; seeds black, angular, slightly rugose.
• Phenology: May – July.
• Habitat & elevation: Dry rocky slopes, calcareous terraces, Mediterranean scrub, and open montane foothills.
• Lebanese distribution:
Not listed by Mouterde, and absent from Tohmé & Tohmé; however, now confirmed for Lebanon by a verified photographic record from the valley between Baskinta and Mtein (R. Maalouf, pers. obs.), growing on rocky montane limestone at ~1200–1400 m. This constitutes the first modern Lebanese confirmation of the species outside POWO/Euro+Med data.
• Native range: Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Bulgaria, Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Krym, Lebanon, Syria, Libya, Morocco, North Caucasus, NW Balkan Peninsula, Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Sinai, Spain, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe (POWO).
• ⚠️ Taxonomic note:
This species belongs to the Allium paniculatum aggregate, but is distinguished by its white or pale pink campanulate flowers, subequal pedicels, and more compact hemispherical umbels.
Because neither Mouterde nor Tohmé recorded it, your Baskinta–Mtein record represents a new, important confirmation of A. pallens in Lebanon. The species was likely overlooked due to confusion with A. paniculatum sensu Mouterde.