this post was submitted on 21 Jul 2024
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Mildly Interesting

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[Image description: a perfectly round peeled bulb of garlic on a cutting board, with unpeeled normal cloves behind it.]

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[–] [email protected] 140 points 5 months ago (4 children)

That's not done yet. Garlic looks like this when it hasn't 'split' into the clove parts yet. This will be bland and only have a mild flavor.

[–] [email protected] 65 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That makes sense, he was really undersized compared to the rest.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 5 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Why are you getting your uwu all over the garlic?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago

Why are you not getting your uwu all over the garlic?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

So some of the inner flesh toward the middle transforms into outer skin?

[–] [email protected] 67 points 5 months ago (3 children)

So you've got two modes of reproduction with Allium. Allium like this typically follows a biennial habit, so this years garlic will split into cloves around the fall, in preparation for sending up a flowering stalk next spring/ summer. The cloves are vegetative propagules; just another way to get more garlic other than seeds. Hence you can just plant a clove and get a garlic next year, or, you can plant seed and also get garlic.

Now for your actually question, I believe the segmentation is probably exogenous, technically yes, however, I am by no means an expert in Allium morphology (although I have done graduate coarse work in plant morph, and worked in a plant morph lab), so don't quote me. However, it wouldn't appear like you are describing. Think of the ring at the base of a clove of garlic as a bunch of 'stems'. The branching would originate there.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 5 months ago (1 children)

How do I subscribe for more garlic facts?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I've enjoyed your wisdom so much lately! Thank you for sharing it!!! I'm learning about plant propagation in general... Is that ring at the base of a clove the same thing as a rhizome?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago

Good for cooking as is?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

This is amazing info to me. I've been growing garlic at a hobby level for ages and never knew how the bulbs develop. Thank you for sending me down a garlic education rabbit hole!