If you’ve ever come across a clump of pretty purple, garlicky-smelling flowers in someone’s garden, there’s a good chance it was Tulbaghia violacea—better known as society garlic. It was named after an 18th-century Cape governor, Ryk Tulbagh, and the “violacea” part simply nods to its violet-colored blooms. This tough little plant is originally from southern Africa, but it’s made itself at home in a few other countries too.
What I love about society garlic is how versatile it is. It’s a hardy perennial with fragrant flowers from midsummer right into autumn, it has even won an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society, and you can actually eat it—leaves, stems, flowers and all. People use it in salads and soups for a gentle garlic-like flavor, and in some places it’s also used in traditional remedies. It’s one of those plants that looks good, smells interesting, and earns its keep in the kitchen too.
如果你曾在別人家的花園裡看過一叢散發著淡淡蒜香的紫色小花，那它很可能就是紫嬌花，也就是俗稱的野蒜。它的名字來自 18 世紀開普敦總督里克·圖爾巴赫（Ryk Tulbagh），而 “violacea” 則指它那紫羅蘭色的花朵。這種生命力頑強的小植物原產於南部非洲，但如今也已移植到其他一些國家。
我喜歡紫嬌花的原因在於它的用途廣泛。它是一種耐寒的多年生植物，從仲夏到秋季都會開出芬芳的花朵，甚至還榮獲了英國皇家園藝學會頒發的「花園優異獎」。而且，它的葉子、莖、花都可以食用。人們把它加入沙拉和湯中，增添一絲淡淡的蒜香；在某些地方，它也被用於傳統療法。這種植物不僅外形美觀，氣味芬芳，在廚房也物盡其用。
Notes 筆記
- Tulbaghia violacea was named after Ryk Tulbagh, the mid-1700s governor of the Cape of Good Hope, and violacea refers to the appearance of its violet-like flowers. It is commonly known as society garlic, pink agapanthus, wild garlic, sweet garlic, spring bulbs, or spring flowers.
- It is indigenous to southern Africa (KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape Province) and is reportedly naturalized in Tanzania and Mexico.
- Tulbaghia violacea is a clump-forming perennial with narrow leaves and large clusters of fragrant, violet flowers from midsummer to autumn (fall).
- Tulbaghia violacea has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
- The leaves, flowers, and stems of society garlic can be safely used in cuisine, often for garlic-like flavouring, particularly in salads or soups.
- It is also used locally as an herbal remedy to treat several ailments and has demonstrated androgenic and anti-cancer properties in vitro.
- 紫嬌花以18世紀中期好望角總督里克·圖爾巴赫（Ryk Tulbagh）的名字命名，而 “violacea” 則指的是它紫羅蘭色的花朵。它俗稱非洲小百合、野蒜。
- 它原產於南部非洲（誇祖魯-納塔爾省和開普省），據報道已移植到坦尚尼亞和墨西哥。
- 紫嬌花是一種叢生多年生植物，葉片狹長，從仲夏到秋季會開出大簇芳香的紫色花朵。
- 紫嬌花榮獲英國皇家園藝學會花園優異獎。
- 紫嬌花的葉子、花朵和莖都可以安全地用於烹飪，通常用作類似大蒜的調味料，尤其是在沙拉或湯中。
- 它也被當地用作草藥治療多種疾病，並在體外實驗中表現出雄激素和抗癌特性。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Tulbaghia violacea
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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