nodding star-of-Bethlehem
(Ornithogalum nutans)
This species is Introduced in the United States
Origin
Native to Europe and southwest Asia.
Appearance
Ornithoglum nutans is an herbaceous annual to 20″ (51 cm) in height. Grows from bulbs each year.
Foliage
The leaves are basal, linear, narrow, and succulent with parallel veins, 0.3-0.6″ (0.8-1.5 cm) wide. The long leaves nod or droop.
Flowers
The small white flowers have a wide green stripe down the center. The flowers are held in racemes (unbranched stalk).
Fruit
The fruits are 3 sided capsules that have an oval or ovoid shape. It reproduces by bulbs and seeds.
Ecological Threat
O. nutans can be found in floodplains, fields, waste places, abandoned gardens and grows in full sun to partial shade.
Native to Europe and southwest Asia.
Appearance
Ornithoglum nutans is an herbaceous annual to 20″ (51 cm) in height. Grows from bulbs each year.
Foliage
The leaves are basal, linear, narrow, and succulent with parallel veins, 0.3-0.6″ (0.8-1.5 cm) wide. The long leaves nod or droop.
Flowers
The small white flowers have a wide green stripe down the center. The flowers are held in racemes (unbranched stalk).
Fruit
The fruits are 3 sided capsules that have an oval or ovoid shape. It reproduces by bulbs and seeds.
Ecological Threat
O. nutans can be found in floodplains, fields, waste places, abandoned gardens and grows in full sun to partial shade.
Maps
EDDMapS Distribution - This map is incomplete and is based only on current site and county level reports made by experts, herbaria, and literature. For more information, visit www.eddmaps.org
State Lists - This map identifies those states that have this species on their invasive species list or law.
Invasive Listing Sources
- Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, 1994.
- Invasive Plant Species of West Virginia
- Jil M. Swearingen, Survey of invasive plants occurring on National Park Service lands, 2000-2007
- National Park Service, Mid-Atlantic Exotic Plant Management Team Invasive Plant List
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas
- WeedUS - Database of Plants Invading Natural Areas in the United States
- West Virginia Invasive Species Strategic Plan and Volunteer Guidelines 2014
- West Virginia Native Plant Society, Flora West Virginia Project, and West Virginia Curatorial Database System, September 3, 1999
Taxonomic Rank
| Domain: Eukarya |
| Kingdom: Plantae |
| Phylum: Magnoliophyta |
| Class: Magnoliopsida |
| Superorder: Lilianae |
| Order: Asparagales |
| Family: Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: Scilloideae |
| Tribe: Ornithogaleae |
| Genus: Ornithogalum |
| Ornithogalum nutans |
References
Common Name Reference: Weed Science Society of America Common Names List
Scientific Name Reference: USDA, NRCS. 2010. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.