View source for Ornithogalum

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Ornithogalum
|accepted_authority=Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Sp. Pl.
|place=1: 306. 1753
|year=1753
}}, {{Treatment/Publication
|title=Gen. Pl. ed.
|place=5, 145. 1754
|year=1754
}}
|common_names=Star-of-Bethlehem;ornithogale;dame-d’onze-heures;étoile de Bethléem
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Liliaceae;Ornithogalum
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Liliaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Ornithogalum]]</div></div>
|etymology=Greek, ornis, bird, and gala, milk, alluding to the color of the flowers
|volume=Volume 26
|mention_page=page 53, 58
|treatment_page=page 318
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-d0_s0" data-properties="whole_organism duration;whole_organism architecture;whole_organism toxicity;whole_organism growth form;bulb shape;bulb architecture"><b>Herbs,</b> perennial, scapose, poisonous, from ovoid, tunicate bulbs;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s1" data-properties="bulb tunic coloration;bulb tunic texture">bulb tunics white to pale-brown, papery.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s2" data-properties="leaf quantity"><b>Leaves </b>few to several, basal;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s3" data-properties="blade shape;margin pubescence;margin pubescence">blade linear to lanceolate, margins smooth or hairy.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s4" data-properties="inflorescence arrangement;inflorescence arrangement;inflorescence architecture;inflorescence architecture"><b>Inflorescences </b>racemose or corymbose, 2–many-flowered, bracteate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s5" data-properties="bract coloration;bract texture">bracts white, membranous.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s6" data-properties="tepal quantity;tepal orientation;tepal fusion;tepal variability;tepal size"><b>Flowers:</b> tepals 6, widely spreading, distinct, equal to slightly unequal;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s7" data-properties="stamen quantity;stamen fusion;stamen growth form">stamens 6, distinct, dimorphic;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s8" data-properties="filament architecture;filament architecture or shape;filament shape">filaments simple or 3-dentate, flattened;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s9" data-properties="anther fixation;anther dehiscence">anthers dorsifixed, introrse;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s10" data-properties="ovary position;ovary coloration;ovary architecture or structure in adjective form;ovary shape;ovary shape;septal nectary presence">ovary superior, green, 3-locular, cylindric to globose, 6-angled, septal nectaries present;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s11" data-properties="style quantity">style 1;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s12" data-properties="stigma margin shape;stigma margin shape">stigma margins entire or indistinctly 3-lobed.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s13" data-properties="fruit architecture;fruit shape;fruit texture;fruit dehiscence"><b>Fruits </b>capsular, angled, papery, dehiscence loculicidal.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s14" data-properties=""><b>Seeds </b>numerous, globose to ovoid.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s15" data-properties="seed quantity;seed shape;x chromosome quantity;x chromosome quantity;x chromosome quantity;x chromosome quantity;x chromosome quantity;x chromosome quantity;x chromosome quantity">x = 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=Europe;Africa;w Asia
|introduced=true
|discussion=<p>Species 100–150 (2 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>Ornithogalum is a large genus centered in South Africa and around the Mediterranean, with numerous species of horticultural note. Ornithogalum pyrenaicum Linnaeus was apparently naturalized for a number of years at Elkins, West Virginia (E. E. Hutton and R. E. Clarkson 1961), but it is now extirpated from that site. Ornithogalum arabicum Linnaeus, Arabian star flower, O. caudatum Aiton, sea-onion, and O. thyrsoides Jacquin, chincherinchee, are frequently cultivated in the warmer parts of the flora area.</p><!--
--><p>The bulbs of Ornithogalum species are poisonous due to the presence of a variety of cardiotoxic cardenolides (G. E. Burrows and R. J. Tyrl 2001), and the bulbs should not be confused with those of wild onions.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Leaves 5–10 mm wide; inflorescences racemose, cylindrical, 5–12(–18)-flowered; lower pedicels to 1 cm; flowers nodding, especially after anthesis; filaments 3-dentate.
|[[Ornithogalum nutans|Ornithogalum nutans]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Leaves 3–5 mm wide; inflorescences corymbose, flat-topped, (4–)8–20-flowered; lower pedicels 2–6 cm; flowers erect; filaments simple.
|[[Ornithogalum umbellatum|Ornithogalum umbellatum]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Ornithogalum
|author=Gerald B. Straley†;Frederick H. Utech
|authority=Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=family
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Liliaceae
|distribution=Europe;Africa;w Asia
|introduced=true
|reference=None
|publication title=Sp. Pl.;Gen. Pl. ed.
|publication year=1753;1754
|special status=
|source xml=https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V26/V26_636.xml
|genus=Ornithogalum
|anther dehiscence=introrse
|anther fixation=dorsifixed
|blade shape=linear;lanceolate
|bract coloration=white
|bract texture=membranous
|bulb architecture=tunicate
|bulb shape=ovoid
|bulb tunic coloration=white;pale-brown
|bulb tunic texture=papery
|filament architecture=simple
|filament architecture or shape=3-dentate
|filament shape=flattened
|fruit architecture=capsular
|fruit dehiscence=loculicidal
|fruit shape=angled
|fruit texture=papery
|inflorescence architecture=bracteate;2-many-flowered
|inflorescence arrangement=corymbose;racemose
|leaf quantity=few;several
|margin pubescence=hairy;smooth
|ovary architecture or structure in adjective form=3-locular
|ovary coloration=green
|ovary position=superior
|ovary shape=6-angled;cylindric;globose
|seed quantity=numerous
|seed shape=globose;ovoid
|septal nectary presence=absent
|stamen fusion=distinct
|stamen growth form=dimorphic
|stamen quantity=6
|stigma margin shape=3-lobed;entire
|style quantity=1
|tepal fusion=distinct
|tepal orientation=spreading
|tepal quantity=6
|tepal size=unequal
|tepal variability=equal
|whole_organism architecture=scapose
|whole_organism duration=perennial
|whole_organism growth form=herb
|whole_organism toxicity=poisonous
|x chromosome quantity=11;9;8;7;6;5;3
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Liliaceae]]