Garlic (roshun)  a hardy liliaceous plant, Allium sativum, of the family Alliaceae, whose strong-scented, pungent bulb is used in cookery and medicine. The plant is grown throughout the country in about 13,100 ha, producing about 39,230 m ton cloves. A native to Central Asia and southern Europe, especially the Mediterranean region, garlic is a rich source of carbohydrate, protein, phosphorus, potash, calcium, and magnesium. It thrives best on fertile, well-drained loamy soils, requires a cool and moist period during growth, and a relatively dry period during the maturity of the cloves. Planted in November-December, clove is ready for harvest when the tops turn yellowish or brownish and show signs of drying up and bending over; a clove begins to mature in about 4-5 months. The variety cultivated in Bangladesh yields about 1.0-1.5 m tons per ha. [SM Monowar Hossain]