Bulbous herb with erect flowering stem, the whole plant strongly garlic-scented, especially the bulb cloves. Stems ± solid. Leaves flattened and chanelled above. Flowers not developing properly, whitish. Inflor. head proliferous with abortive flowers developing into bulbils, these becoming purplish-pink and connate into a rounded head to c. 3 cm diam. Plants dying off (aerial parts) by this date.