star-of-Bethlehem
star-of-Bethlehem
Ornithogalum
Also known as: Chincherinchees
Plantae
COMMON

Stats

Lifespan
Perennial
Size
Small
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Temperate grassland
Range
Europe and Africa
Movement
Sessile
Breeding
Bulbs
Defense
Toxins
Status
Common

About

This bulbous plant grows in southern Europe and Africa with star-shaped blooms. Its green-striped petals fold shut tightly whenever the sky becomes cloudy or dark.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    seed
    A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
  2. 2.
    sprout
    A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
  3. 3.
    sapling
    A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
  4. 4.
    mature
    Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Family
Asparagaceae
Genus
Ornithogalum