Garlic is an upright, bulbous plant measuring 30–60 cm tall from the Amaryllidaceae family. The bulb sits on a disk-like stem composed of several segments (cloves) enclosed in a common membrane at the base of the foliage leaves. Each clove features a protective cylindrical sheath and a small central bud. The leaf blade is linear, flat, and solid, measuring 1–2.5 cm in width and 30–60 cm in length, with a pointed apex. Leaf sheaths form a pseudostem. The inflorescence is umbellate, with a smooth, round, and solid scape that coils at first, and is subtended by a long-beaked, membranous spathe that splits on one side while remaining attached to the umbel. Small bulbils are produced within the inflorescence; the number of flowers can vary and may sometimes be absent; they rarely open and may wither in the bud. Allium is the name of the genus that includes garlic, which is part of the monocot family of flowering plants.