Bulb solitary, cylindric ovoid to subglobose, sometimes bearing bulbels; tunic white, membranous, entire. Leaves broadly linear to linear-lanceolate, shorter than scape, 1--5 cm wide or more, slightly conduplicate, abaxially keeled. Scape 60--80 cm or more, terete, covered with leaf sheaths for ca. 1/2 its length. Spathe 1-valved, deciduous; beak long. Umbel globose, densely many flowered. Pedicels subequal, several times as long as perianth, bracteolate. Perianth white to pale purple; segments with green midvein, suboblong, 4.5--5 × 2--2.3 mm, apex acute; outer ones denticulate along midvein abaxially. Filaments slightly longer than perianth segments, connate at base and adnate to perianth segments; outer ones narrowly triangular to linear-triangular, margin denticulate toward base; inner ones oblong, as wide as perianth segments for ca. 2/3 their length, 1-toothed on each side, teeth with apex elongated into a twisted, filiform cusp much longer than anther-bearing cusp. Ovary ovoid-globose, with transversely convex nectaries near middle of septa. Style exserted. Fl. and fr. May--Jul. 2 n = 32.

Cultivated as a vegetable [native to SW Asia and Europe; also widely cultivated].