The round, purple heads of wild leeks are a familiar sight in early summer, standing out against the surrounding straw of drying grasses, but they grow not only in fields and olive groves but also along the coast, clinging to the rocks above the sea. They dry to form attractive flower heads in autumn.

The bulbs are resistant to salt and float in the sea, spreading the plants along the coast. They are found throughout the Mediterranean.

The name commutatum is used in botanical Latin to describe a species which is close to one already known, in this case Allium ampeloprasum, which is the forerunner of the cultivated leek. Leeks were popular with ancient Greeks and was the favourite vegetable of the Roman emperor Nero. The bulbs have a mild garlic flavour, sometimes referred to as sea garlic.