Rocambole - Encyclopedia

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

'ROCAMBOLE,' Allium Scorodoprasum, a hardy bulbous perennial occurring in a wild state in sandy pastures and waste places throughout Europe, but not common in the south; in Britain it is rare, and found in the north of England and the south of Scotland. Its cultivation does not appear to be of ancient date; it is not mentioned by Greek and Roman authors, and there are only a small number of original common names among ancient peoples (A. de Candolle, Origin of Cultivated Plants, p. 72). The plant is grown for its bulbs, which are smaller and milder than those of garlic, and consist of several cloves chiefly produced at the roots. The cloves are planted about the end of February or in March, and treated like garlic or shallot. When mature, the bulbs are taken up, dried and stored for use.