Ornithogalum nutans
Species of flowering plant / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ornithogalum nutans, known as drooping star-of-Bethlehem,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Europe and South West Asia. It is a bulbous perennial growing to 20–60 cm (8–24 in) tall by 5 cm (2 in) wide, with strap-shaped leaves and green striped, pendent grey-white flowers in spring.[3] It is cultivated, and has naturalized, outside its native range, for example in North America.[4][5] It has become extremely invasive along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Maryland. At least in North America, it is not as common as Ornithogalum umbellatum.[4]
Ornithogalum nutans | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Asparagaceae |
Subfamily: | Scilloideae |
Tribe: | Ornithogaleae |
Genus: | Ornithogalum |
Species: | O. nutans |
Binomial name | |
Ornithogalum nutans | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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The specific epithet nutans means "nodding", referring to the flowers' slightly drooping habit.[6]
O. nutans is hardy to USDA Zones 6–10.[7] It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[8][9]