Liliaceae
Ornithogalum umbellatum
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Petal
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6 |
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Useful
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Herb |
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Star-of-Bethlehem on:
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| Other Names for this Plant |
Sleepydick, Starflower, Summer Snowflake, Summer Snowdrop, Grass Lily, Cape Lily, Nap-at-Noon, Star at Noon, Eleven O'Clock Ladies (or Lady Eleven O'Clock), or by the French equivalent, Bella d'onze heures or Dame d'onze heures, the Pyrenees' Star of Bethlehem, Dove's Dung, Pigeon's Dung, or Sparrow's Dung
Origin & Range: Native to Eurasia, North Africa, & the Mideast. In Europe, it is found from Portugal and Spain in the west, south to Italy, north to parts of France and east to Turkey. In the United States, this plant is found from Maine to Florida including all the states west to South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It is also found in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. This plant has been reported from all New England states.
A perennial from a bulb that is often misidentified as a grass or as wild garlic or wild onion. Star-of-Bethlehem has been sold as an ornamental and has escaped to become a weed of agronomic and horticultural crops, pastures and lawns. Leaves are shiny and dark green, with a distinct white midrib. Leaves are 4 to 12 inches long, 2 to 6 mm wide, and hollow in cross section. Leaves lack any garlic or onionlike smell. Flowers consist of six white petals that collectively resemble a star. Flowers occur at the ends of leafless flowering stems. Plants reproduce from large bulbs that are oval shaped. Smaller bulblets occur around the parent bulb. |
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What's This?
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One First-Leaves (Monocots) |
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Half Capsule Seed Division |
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Magnolia Division |
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Seed Plants |
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Multiple Spore Sub-Kingdom |
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Multicellular Land Plants |
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Cells with a Nucleus |
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Star-of-Bethlehem causes potential threats to native vegetation. It has been sold as an ornamental and has escaped to become a weed of landscapes, pastures, hayfields, turf grass, and lawns.
The name Star of Bethlehem is mainly in allusion to the six-pointed blooms, but may also have come about because it was used as a famine food by medieval pilgrims to the Holy Land & was to be found growing all around Bethelehem, perhaps planted there by the Christian pilgrims. It was known in Europe in an earlier time as Dog's Onion, but by the 15th Century it became associated with pilgrims & so came to be called Star-of-Bethlehem
Its second most common name, Sleepydick or Sleepy Dick, is from not opening its buds until toward the end of morning. This habit also gave rise to the names Nap-at-Noon, Star at Noon, & Eleven O'Clock Ladies (or Lady Eleven O'Clock), or by the French equivalent, Bella d'onze heures or Dame d'onze heures.
Extracts are used by herbalists for treatment of fearfulness, suicidal depression, or grief, as well as for ulcers, flatulance, & such serious diseases as cancer. Efficacy in treating mental distress & serious physical diseases is of the highest level of dubiousness. No modern herbalist could seriously recommend Sleepdick medicinally
A homeopathic remedy is made from the bulbs. It is useful in the treatment of certain forms of cancer. The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'After effect of shock, mental or physical'. It is also one of the five ingredients in the 'Rescue remedy'
The bulbs are edible if they are either well-cooked, or dried & powdered. They are sometimes eaten raw, but the possible dangers make that less than wise. According to Stephen Facciola's Cornucopia: A Source Book of Edible Plants the blossoms have been used as an ingredient in baked bread & pastries.
The plant is toxic. Flowers and bulbs contain glycosides similar to digitalis.
Ingesting two bulbs can cause shortness of breath in adults. Symptoms of toxicosis include nausea, salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, and shortness of breath, pain, burning, and swelling of lips, tongue, and throat, skin irritation following prolonged contact.
Star-of-Bethlehem
Flower Close up
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Star-of-Bethlehem
Backs of flowers showing the green stripe
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Star-of-Bethlehem
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| Comment:
Star-of-Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum |
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