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''Ornithogalum'' is a
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
perennial plant A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
s mostly native to southern
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and
southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...
belonging to the family
Asparagaceae Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, ''Asparagus officinalis''. Those who live in the temperate c ...
. Some species are native to other areas such as the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
. Growing from a
bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...
, species have linear basal leaves and a slender stalk, up to 30 cm tall, bearing clusters of typically white star-shaped flowers, often striped with green. The common name of the genus, star-of-Bethlehem, is based on its star-shaped flowers, after the Star of Bethlehem that appears in the
biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
account of the birth of
Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
. The number of species has varied considerably, depending on authority, from 50 to 300.


Description

''Ornithogalum'' species are
perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
bulbous geophytes with basal leaves. ''Sensu lato'', the genus has the characteristics of the tribe
Ornithogaleae Scilloideae (named after the genus ''Scilla'', "squill") is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family '' Asparagaceae''. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus '' Hyacinthus''. Scilloidea ...
as a whole, since the tribe is
monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
in that sense. ''Sensu stricto'', the genus is characterised by long linear to oblong-lanceolate (lance-shaped) leaves, sometimes with a white longitudinal band on the adaxial (upper) side, an
inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...
that is corymbose or pseudocorymbose,
tepals A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...
that are white with a longitudinal green band only visible on the abaxial (lower) side, a capsule that is obovate or oblong, and truncate with six noticeable ribs in section and
seeds A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosperm pl ...
that are
globose A sphere () is a geometrical object that is a three-dimensional analogue to a two-dimensional circle. A sphere is the set of points that are all at the same distance from a given point in three-dimensional space.. That given point is the ce ...
with a prominently reticulate (net-like pattern)
testa Testa may refer to: * Testa (botany), a term to describe the seed coat * Testa (surname) * Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, a former Boston law firm * 11667 Testa, a main-belt asteroid discovered in 1997 * Testa (ceramics), fired clay material, espe ...
. The bulbs are ovoid with free or concrescent scales. The longitudinal band on the leaves is thought to be caused by an interruption of
palisade tissue Palisade cells are plant cells located on the leaves, right below the epidermis and cuticle that is the outermost layer of the leaf. In simpler terms, they are known as leaf cells. Palisade means "stake" in latin, they are vertically elongated ...
in the central portion of the leaf. This is an
apomorphy In phylogenetics, an apomorphy (or derived trait) is a novel character or character state that has evolved from its ancestral form (or plesiomorphy). A synapomorphy is an apomorphy shared by two or more taxa and is therefore hypothesized to have ...
that was not present in the early lineage of this
clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
, but is also seen in some ''
Albuca ''Albuca'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is distributed mainly in southern and eastern Africa, with some species occurring in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants of the g ...
'' species.


Taxonomy

''Ornithogalum'' was originally described by ''Linnaeus'' in 1753, with 12 species, which he placed in the Hexandria Monogynia (six stamens, one carpel). When Michel Adanson formed the family
Liliaceae The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair ...
in 1763, he placed ''Ornithogalum'' there, where it largely remained till this very large family was dismembered towards the end of the 20th century. Specifically, he included the genus with the onions (now Allioideae). By the 1870s, as Baker describes in his revision of the family, the
taxonomy of Liliaceae The taxonomy of the plant family Liliaceae has had a complex history since its first description in the mid-eighteenth century. Originally, the Liliaceae were defined as having a " ''calix''" (perianth) of six equal-coloured parts, six stamens, ...
had become vast and complicated. Baker placed ''Ornithogalum'' in the tribe
Scilleae Scilloideae (named after the genus ''Scilla'', "squill") is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family '' Asparagaceae''. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus '' Hyacinthus''. Scilloidea ...
, one of eight tribes into which he divided the Liliaceae. He then further subdivided the genus into seven subgenera. Of those, the first, ''Heliocharmos'', corresponds to the modern ''Ornithogalum'' ''sensu stricto'', with 23 species. Later, in the United Kingdom, Bentham and
Hooker Hooker may refer to: People * Hooker (surname) Places Antarctica * Mount Hooker (Antarctica) * Cape Hooker (Antarctica) * Cape Hooker (South Shetland Islands) New Zealand * Hooker River * Mount Hooker (New Zealand) in the Southern Alps * Hoo ...
published their volume on the Liliaceae in Latin in 1883. They divided the family into 20
tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...
and placed ''Ornithogalum'' in the tribe Scilleae with 19 other genera, and indicated 70 species existed. In the German literature the
taxonomic system Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...
of Engler completed its classification of the Liliaceae in 1888. He divided the family into 12
subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
and subordinate tribes. ''Ornithogalum'' was then placed in the subfamily
Lilioideae The Lilioideae are a subfamily of monocotyledonous perennial, herbaceous mainly bulbous flowering plants in the lily family, Liliaceae. They are found predominantly in the temperate and colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly Eas ...
and tribe Scilleae together with 21 other genera. The 70 species of ''Ornithogalum'' were then further divided into six sections, with section ''Heliocharmos'' corresponding to Baker's subgenus. ''Ornithogalum'' is one of four genera in the tribe
Ornithogaleae Scilloideae (named after the genus ''Scilla'', "squill") is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family '' Asparagaceae''. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus '' Hyacinthus''. Scilloidea ...
, the largest tribe within the subfamily
Scilloideae Scilloideae (named after the genus ''Scilla'', "squill") is a subfamily of bulbous plants within the family ''Asparagaceae''. Scilloideae is sometimes treated as a separate family Hyacinthaceae, named after the genus ''Hyacinthus''. Scilloideae or ...
of the
Asparagaceae Asparagaceae, known as the asparagus family, is a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots. The family name is based on the edible garden asparagus, ''Asparagus officinalis''. Those who live in the temperate c ...
. Historically, it was treated as part of the subfamily Ornithogaloideae of Hyacinthaceae, now obsolete terms. The preferred treatment is to consider the Hyacinthaceae as subfamily Scilloideae of the Asparagaceae. The original subfamilies within Hyacinthaceae became tribes of subfamily Scilloideae. Thus subfamily Ornithogaloideae became tribe Ornithogaleae. The precise taxonomy of the Ornithogaloideae/Ornithogaleae has been problematic since at least the time of Linnaeus. The Ornithogaloideae were one of four major clades within the Hyacinthaceae. Phylogenetic analysis subsumed all of that subfamily into the genus ''Ornithogalum'' with about 300 species. This '' sensu lato'' reduction of Speta's 14 genera into one was not widely accepted, though they were polyphyletic, and had a number of problems. (This also had the effect of eliminating '' Galtonia'' as a genus, under which a number of ''Ornithogalum'' species are still sold.) Further analysis with wider sampling (70 compared to 40 taxa) and a third
plastid The plastid (Greek: πλαστός; plastós: formed, molded – plural plastids) is a membrane-bound organelle found in the Cell (biology), cells of plants, algae, and some other eukaryotic organisms. They are considered to be intracellular endosy ...
region ( matK) revealed the presence of three clades (A, B and C) within Ornithogaleae/''Ornithogalum''. Consequently, a new classification was proposed with three tribes and four genera, ''Ornithogalum'' corresponding to clade C, placed in tribe Ornithogaleae, but further subdivided into subgenera and sections, with 160 species. ''Galtonia'' was retained as a taxon, but at the subgenus level. An alternative approach was suggested by combining plastid gene sequences with nuclear DNA sequences,
morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines *Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts *Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies, ...
, and
biogeography Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...
. This supported Manning's clade C within which ''Ornithogalum'' was contained, but the very large subgenus ''Ornithogalum'' was noted to still be
heterogeneous Homogeneity and heterogeneity are concepts often used in the sciences and statistics relating to the uniformity of a substance or organism. A material or image that is homogeneous is uniform in composition or character (i.e. color, shape, siz ...
, which they had managed by treating it as seven sections. This study suggested reversing the ''sensu lato'' (lumping) approach of Manning ''et al.'', reverting to separate genera (splitting), thus resurrecting ''Galtonia''. The ''sensu stricto'' classification of reduces the number of species to 50 as originally proposed by Speta. Thus, any consideration of the genus needs to be examined as to whether it refers to ''sensu stricto'', the 50 species considered by and , or ''sensu lato'', the much larger genus envisaged by .


Subdivision

This very large genus has long been divided into many
subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...
. The ''Flora Europaea'' (1980) lists 15 subgenera, many of which had at various times been separate distinct genera. Having originally subsumed all of the Ornithogaleae genera into the single genus ''Ornithogalum'', later subdivided this now very large genus into four subgenera after resurrecting three of the original subsumed genera (''
Albuca ''Albuca'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is distributed mainly in southern and eastern Africa, with some species occurring in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants of the g ...
'', ''
Pseudogaltonia ''Pseudogaltonia'' is a genus of bulbous flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae (also treated as the family Hyacinthaceae).Stevens, P.F. (2001 onwards),Asparagales: Scilloideae, ''Angiosperm Phylogeny Website'', ret ...
'', '' Dipcadi''). As proposed by them the genus has the following structure: *subgenus ''Avonsera'' (Speta) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt (
monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
: ''Ornithogalum convallarioides'') *subgenus '' Galtonia'' (Decne.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt (7 species) *subgenus ''Aspasia'' (Salisb.) Oberm. (30 species) *subgenus ''Ornithogalum'' (7 sections, 120 species)


Species

Of the roughly 180 species, the best known are ''O. umbellatum'', ''O. saundersiae'', ''O. arabicum'', and ''O. thyrsoides''. *'' Ornithogalum arabicum'' (Star-of-Bethlehem) *''
Ornithogalum dubium ''Ornithogalum dubium'', common names sun star, star of Bethlehem or yellow chincherinchee, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is a South African (Cape Province) endemism, ende ...
'' (Sun star, yellow chincherinchee) *''
Ornithogalum maculatum ''Ornithogalum maculatum'' is a flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa. References External links Gallery of the World's BulbsOrnithogalum narbonense ''Ornithogalum narbonense'', common names Narbonne star-of-Bethlehem, pyramidal star-of-Bethlehem and southern star-of-Bethlehem, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant with underground bulbs, belonging to the genus ''Ornithogalum'' of the fa ...
'' (Pyramidal star-of-Bethlehem) *''
Ornithogalum nutans ''Ornithogalum nutans'', known as drooping star-of-Bethlehem, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Europe and South West Asia. It is a bulbous perennial growing to tall by wide, with strap-shaped leaves and gree ...
'' (Drooping star-of-Bethlehem) *''
Ornithogalum pyrenaicum ''Ornithogalum pyrenaicum'', also called Prussian asparagus, wild asparagus, Bath asparagus, Pyrenees star of Bethlehem, or spiked star of Bethlehem, is a plant whose young flower shoots may be eaten as a vegetable, similar to asparagus Asp ...
'' (Bath asparagus/Prussian asparagus/spiked star-of-Bethlehem) *''
Ornithogalum saundersiae ''Ornithogalum saundersiae'', or giant chincherinchee, is a species of ''Ornithogalum'' (star of Bethlehem) in the subfamily Scilloideae of family Asparagaceae. Description ''Ornithogalum saundersiae'' is a perennial, herbaceous bulbous plan ...
'' (Giant chincherinchee) *''
Ornithogalum thyrsoides ''Ornithogalum thyrsoides'' is a bulbous plant species that is endemic to the Cape Province in South Africa. It is also known by the common names of chinkerinchee or chincherinchee, star-of-Bethlehem or wonder-flower. It produces long-lasting fl ...
'' (Chincherinchee) *'' Ornithogalum umbellatum'' (Common star-of-Bethlehem) ''Type species'' *'' Ornithogalum xanthochlorum'' ( Namaqua chink/slangkop) Species formerly placed in ''Galtonia'' include: *'' Ornithogalum candicans'' (Baker) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt (Summer hyacinth, Cape hyacinth) *''
Ornithogalum princeps ''Ornithogalum'' is a genus of perennial plants mostly native to southern Europe and southern Africa belonging to the family Asparagaceae. Some species are native to other areas such as the Caucasus. Growing from a bulb, species have linear bas ...
'' (Baker) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt *''
Ornithogalum regalis ''Ornithogalum'' is a genus of perennial plants mostly native to southern Europe and southern Africa belonging to the family Asparagaceae. Some species are native to other areas such as the Caucasus. Growing from a bulb, species have linear bas ...
'' (Hilliard & B.L.Burtt) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt *''
Ornithogalum saundersiae ''Ornithogalum saundersiae'', or giant chincherinchee, is a species of ''Ornithogalum'' (star of Bethlehem) in the subfamily Scilloideae of family Asparagaceae. Description ''Ornithogalum saundersiae'' is a perennial, herbaceous bulbous plan ...
'' Baker *''
Ornithogalum viridiflorum ''Ornithogalum viridiflorum'', syn. ''Galtonia viridiflora'', the green flowered Galtonia, is a species of bulbous flowering plant from South Africa and Lesotho, grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. It is often sold under its older name '' ...
'' (I.Verd.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt


Etymology

The Latin genus name ''ornithogalum'' derives from Greek ''ornithogalon'' referring to ornithogalum umbellatum, itself deriving from ''ornis'' "bird" ( GEN ''ornithos'') and ''gala'' "milk". The name is thought to be related to the white colour of the flowers; in some species, they resemble bird droppings. The possible (non-attested) alternative form in ancient Greek ''ornithogalē'' seems to be the source of
classical Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a literary standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was used from 75 BC to the 3rd century AD, when it developed into Late Latin. In some later periods ...
''ornithogale'' as used by
Pliny the Elder Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/2479), called Pliny the Elder (), was a Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the emperor Vespasian. He wrote the encyclopedic '' ...
.


Distribution and habitat

When the genus is broadly
circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...
, as for example by ''
Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It was launched in March 2017 with the ultimate aim being "to enable users to access information on all the world's known seed-bearing plants by ...
'', species are widely distributed over several continents including Africa (other than the tropics), Madagascar, Europe, and temperate Asia (as far as Afghanistan).


Uses

''Ornithogalum'' species may be sold as cut flowers, particularly ''O. arabicum'', ''O. dubium'', ''O. saundersiae'', and ''O.thyrsoides''. They are also sold as ornamental garden flowers.


Toxicity and use in alternative medicine

Some of the plants in the genus are poisonous, and have been known to kill grazing animals. Others are edible and used as vegetables. The
bulb In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...
s contain
alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...
s and cardenolides, which are toxic. ''Ornithogalum'' has been listed as one of the 38 plants used to prepare
Bach flower remedies Bach flower remedies (BFRs) are solutions of brandy and water—the water containing extreme dilutions of flower material developed by Edward Bach, an English homeopath, in the 1930s. Bach claimed that the dew found on flower petals retains t ...
, a kind of
alternative medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...
promoted for its effect on health. However, according to Cancer Research UK, "there is no scientific evidence to prove that flower remedies can control, cure or prevent any type of disease, including cancer".


Gallery

File:Ornithogalum arabicum 1 (Corse).JPG, ''O. arabicum'' File:Ornithogalum dubium B.jpg, ''O. dubium'' File:Ornithogalum nutans bloemen.jpg, ''O. nutans'' File:Ornithogalum pyrenaicum 140608a.jpg, ''O. pyrenaicum'' File:虎眼萬年青 Ornithogalum saundersiae -台北花博 Taipei Flora Expo- (9240259688).jpg, ''O. saundersiae'' File:Estrella de David o de Belén (Ornithogalum thyrsoides) (16274307035).jpg, ''O. thyrsoides'' File:OrnithogalumUmbellatum1UME.jpg, ''O. umbellatum'' File:Ornithogalum xanthochlorum Namaqua Chink 1.jpg, '' O. xanthochlorum'' File:Vogelmelk (Ornithogalum). Gesloten bloemknop. 01-05-2022 (d.j.b.) 01.jpg, Closed flower bud.


See also

*
Taxonomy of Liliaceae The taxonomy of the plant family Liliaceae has had a complex history since its first description in the mid-eighteenth century. Originally, the Liliaceae were defined as having a " ''calix''" (perianth) of six equal-coloured parts, six stamens, ...


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Historical sources

* * * * * * *


Databases

* * * * Distribution maps * *


External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q161148 Asparagaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus