Allium ursinum Ramsons

Allium ursinum, Ramsons, is a familiar species of deciduous woodland throughout Britain. In West Glamorgan it is a conspicous feature of the woodlands and hedgerows of south Gower where it appears in spectacular displays in springtime. It is also a frequent member of riparian corridor woodlands in the basins of the Tawe, Neath and lower Afan valleys. However, it is uncommon in the upland Sessile-oak woodlands that occur on the steep slopes of those valleys. It belongs to the vernal woodland community which flowers in Spring before the broadleaved woodland canopy is closed. Plants arise from an underground bulb producing a single stem with a simple umbel of 6-petalled white flowers. Each plant has two rather broadly elliptical leaves. It is quite shade tolerant and it may benefit from the more shaded woodland habitats that develop when woodland management, e.g. coppicing and thinning, is no longer practised. It reproduces mainly by seed but vegetative reproduction via daughter bulb production is possible, but probably rare. The seeds are quite large and they are not dispersed far, but Ramsons is capable of efficient colonisation and its usefulness as an ancient woodland indicator is questionable. The crushed leaves smell strongly of garlic which is noticable when walking through dense populations. The young leaves, which taste of garlic less strongly than mature leaves, are sometimes collected and used in salads. Ramsons contains a large number of interesting sulphur-containing secondary compounds that are derived from cysteine sulphoxides after hydrolysis, which can occur when the leaves are damaged or crushed. This results in the release of volatile compounds such as thiosulphinates and polysulfides which give rise to the characteritic smell and taste of garlic. Ramsons has a long history in folk medicine and may even have been used by Mesolithic people. There is little doubt that it contains a large number of pharmacologically interesting compounds imcluding some with antibacterial activity and some that may have potential in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Other medicinal properties of Ramsons are also under investigation. In its scientific name, the epithet ursinum is derived from ursus, the latin word for the bear. Legend has it that after waking from hibernation in Spring, bears would consume Ramson leaves in order to purge themselves of toxins that accumulated in their bodies during their winter sleep.

Native