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status
flower
inner
morph
petals
(3+3)type
stem
toxicity
rarity
1st July 2016, nr Tilleys Wood, Monks Wood, Biddestone, Wilts | Photo: © Sue Hill |
Grows up to 6ocm tall in woods, scrub or on hedge-banks. Flower spike bears greater than 20 flowers. |
1st July 2016, nr Tilleys Wood, Monks Wood, Biddestone, Wilts | Photo: © Sue Hill |
Unlike other Star-of-Bethlehem species, this one has a spike of flowers (which do not droop). |
1st July 2016, nr Tilleys Wood, Monks Wood, Biddestone, Wilts | Photo: © Sue Hill |
The flowers have what look like 6 petals they are actually 3 outer tepals plus 3 inner tepals. |
1st July 2016, nr Tilleys Wood, Monks Wood, Biddestone, Wilts | Photo: © Sue Hill |
Un-like Star-of-Betlehemand Garden Star-of-Bethlehemthe tepals are striated and also splashed a pale green on the inner surface. Tepals 6-13mm long. |
1st July 2016, nr Tilleys Wood, Monks Wood, Biddestone, Wilts | Photo: © Sue Hill |
Flowers angled outwards or upwards on stalks (petioles) which are longer than the bracts just beneath them. The 6 filaments bearing a cream-coloured anther each are wide, but narrow abruptly well before the anther. |
1st July 2016, nr Tilleys Wood, Monks Wood, Biddestone, Wilts | Photo: © Sue Hill |
The tepals are long and almost linear, and pale-green and cream. |
1st July 2016, nr Tilleys Wood, Monks Wood, Biddestone, Wilts | Photo: © Sue Hill |
A developing fruit in the centre complete with singe discoidal stigma at the end of a style. Tepals with 2 to 4 lengthways ridges. |
1st July 2016, nr Tilleys Wood, Monks Wood, Biddestone, Wilts | Photo: © Sue Hill |
The tepals enveloping the flower before opening are also pale-green and cream on the outside. Anthers and ovary visible inside on the flower bud on the lower left. |
Not to be semantically confused with :
No relation to : Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem (Gagea lutea) nor with Many similarities to : Drooping Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum nutans) but the flowers do not fully open but instead form open bell-shapes, are on shorter stalks and droop downwards (rather than face either outwards or are angled upwards) Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : Is related to : Garden Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) [a plant with similar name to another name for this plant: Bath Asparagus]. It is known to some as Bath Asparagus because it was once eaten as asparagus in Bath, Somerset. Like Star-of-Bethlehem it is probably poisonous despite it formerly being eaten as a vegetable like Asparagus, but then, Asparagus is cooked before eating, which may neutralise a lot of the toxins. It is still found in Bath and is localised in Southern England and northwards to Hunts where it is native and naturalised; elsewhere found in scattered locations of England and Wales.
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pyrenaicum ![]() |
⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Asparagaceae ![]() |
![]() Ornithogalum (Star-of-Bethlehems) |
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