Nomenclature

Species name:

Ornithogalum narbonense   L.

Author(s):

Carl von Linné
   Sweden, 1707-1778

Common name:

Southern Star of Bethlehem

Maltese name:

Halib it-Tajr Zghir

Plant Family:

Liliaceae   (Lily Family)

Name Derivation:

Ornithogalum = 'Ornis' = bird; 'galos' = milk; hence it means Bird's milk. (Greek);

narbonense = Of or from Narbonne, a city in France near the Mediterranean coast. (Latin).

Synonyms:

Ornithogalum pyramidale L. subsp. narbonense, Ornithogalum arcuatum.

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Habitat:

Rocky areas especially near arable land.

Sources in Malta:

Frequent such as at Selmun, Buskett, Mistra Valley and Bahrija. Similarly frequent at Gozo.

Plant Height:

25-50cm

Flowering Time:

Apr-May

A perennial plant developed from oval, tunic-covered bulbs without outer bulbils. In mid winter the bulbs give rise to long, linear leaves which can be up to 15mm wide. They are somewhat bluish-grey, channelled and spreading out from the underground bulb. 3 to 6 leaves are usually produced and persists during the flowering phase of the plant. The leaves of a related species (O. pyrenaicum) wither before flowers appear.

The 30-60cm high scape produces a pyramidal raceme of 20-50 flowers that starts to blossom in April. The pedicels of the open flowers are spread out from the scape, but after the flowering period, the pedicels become apressed back to the flowering stem. Each flower has a 1-2cm long bract with a long-pointed tip. The buds are apressed to the flowering stem and are seen as oval bodies that are striped longitudinally in green and white.

The flower is about 20-25mm across and composed of 6 identical, narrow, non-overlapping, white tepals which have a green longitudinal stripe at the backside, sometimes visible as a pale green stripe from the upper side. The reproductive organs consists of 6 stamens surrounding a central, superior, bead-like, green ovary at the centre of the flower. The stamens have a broad, flap-like white filament with a tapering end that holds a pale yellow, rod-shaped anther about 4mm long. The ovary is somewhat shiny and have a white style shorter than the stamens

The fruit are initially green capsules held close to the main flowering stem. It is more or less oval with 3 prominent angles and about 1cm long. In May, the fruit dries, becomes straw coloured and splits open longitudinally in three compartments to expose out the shiny seeds. There is no special seed-dispersion mechanism.

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