210 



ORN 



TAB UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



ORN 



every way, watering them duly till they have taken new root ; 

 after which they require only to be kept clean from weeds. 



Ornithoyalum ; a genus of the class Hexandria, order 

 Monogynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : none. Co- 

 rolla : petals six, lanceolate, upright below the middle, above 

 it spreading, permanent, losing their colour. Staminri : fila- 

 menta six, upright, alternately widening- at the base, shorter 

 than the corolla; antherae simple. Pistil: germen angular; 

 tyle awl-shaped, permanent; stigma blunt. Pericarp: cap- 

 sule roundish, angular, three-celled, three-valved. Seeds : 

 many, roundish. Observe. The filamenta in some are flat and 

 upright, the alternate ones trifid at top, the middle segment 

 supporting the antherse ; in others the alternate filaments are 

 simple. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Corolla: six-petalled, 

 upright, permanent, spreading above the middle. Filamenta: 



alternate, widening at the base The species are, 



"With all the Stamina atol-sk<tped- 



1. Ornithogalum Uniflorum ; One-flowered Star of Bethle- 

 hem. Scape two-leaved ; peduncle one-flowered. The stem 

 is about a span high, bearing two lanceolate leaves, nearly 

 opposite ; petals yellow above, green below, an inch long. 

 Native of Siberia. This species, with those that are referred 

 to it, are cultivated for ornament in our gardens. They are 

 hardy bulbs, to .be propagated by offsets, which their roots 

 generally produce in great plenty. The best time to trans- 

 plant them is July or August, when their leaves are decayed; 

 for if they are removed late in autumn, their fibres being shot 

 out, they will be apt to suffer on being disturbed. They 

 should have a light sandy soil, not over-dunged ; and may be 

 mixed with other bulbs in the borders of the pleasure-garden. 

 They need not be transplanted oftener than every other year : 

 for if taken up every year, they will no.t increase much ; 

 and if they are suffered to remain much longer unremoved, 

 they will have so many offsets as to weaken the blowing roots. 

 They may also be propagated from seeds; but the plants will 

 not flower under three or four years. 



2. Ornithogalum Niveum ; Snowy Star of Bethlehem. 

 Raceme few-flowered; petals lanceolate; leaves filiform, cha- 

 nelled ; scape shorter that the leaves; peduncles scarcely 

 half an inch long. Native of the Cape. It flowers here in 

 August, and, with all the species that are referred to it, may 

 be propagated by offsets ; but being too tender to thrive in 

 the open air, the roots must be placed in pots filled with 

 light earth, and in autumn placed under a hot-bed frame, 

 where they may be screened from frost, and in mild weather 

 enjoy the free air. In the beginning of July the leaves and 

 stalks generally decay, and then the roots may be taken up, 

 and laid in a dry cool place till the end of August, when they 

 must be planted again. 



3. Ornithogalum Umbellatum ; Common Star of Bethle- 

 hem. Corymb few-flowered ; peduncles longer than the 

 bractes, the outer taller than the central ones ; bulb solid, 

 having smaller bulbs joining to it; scape upright, round, very 

 smooth, a long span or a foot in height ; petals white, with 

 a broad green streak. This species is very improperly termed 

 Umbellatum, as the flowers are in a most evident corymb or 

 spike. - Native of the southern parts of Europe. In England 

 it flowers in April and May, and is found in the closes about 

 Streatham in Surry ; near Relham in Cambridgeshire ; in 

 Christchurch meadows in Oxfordshire ; and in some parts 

 of Yorkshire. This plant will thrive in any shady situation. 



4. Ornithogalum Luteum ; Yellow Star of Bethlehem. 

 Scape angular, two-leaved; peduncles umbelled, simple; root- 

 leaves generally single, and longer than the stem. The Swedes 

 eat the roots of tnis specie? in times of scarcity ; indeed the 

 roots of all the plants of this genas are nutritioi's anH whole- 



some. It flowers in April, and is a native of most parts of 

 Europe, in woods, pastures, and moist sandy places. It is 

 found in the meadows near Godalming in Surry ; in the woods 

 near Ashford Mill, and Fauler, in Oxfordshire ; in a meadow 

 adjoining to the copper mills, Derby ; under Malham cove, 

 near Doncaster in Yorkshire ; and in Northumberland, It 

 will grow readily in an open situation. 



5. Ornithogalum Minimum ; Small Star of Bethlehem. 

 Scape angular, two-leaved ; peduncles umbelled, branched. 

 This rery much resembles the preceding species, but the 

 petals are more acute, and is readily known by its growing in 

 a tuft. Native of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, 

 France, Switzerland, Hungary, and Italy, on the borders of 

 fields. It requires a shady situation. 



6. Ornithogalum Pyrenaicum ; Spiked Star of Bethlctem. 

 Raceme very long; petals linear, blunt; filamenta lanceolate, 

 equal ; style the length of the stamina. Stem naked, a foot 

 and half or two feet high. The flowers have an agreeaola 

 scent, and appear in May ; they are numerous, small, and 

 greenish. "When the seed vessels are formed, the fruit-stalks 

 become erect, and approach to the stalk ; the seeds ripen in 

 August. Native of pastures in some parts of Europe. In 

 England it is found between Bath and Bradford, near Little 

 Aspley ; also between Bath and Warminster ; three miles 

 from Bristol, in the way to Bath ; and near Queen Charlton 

 in Somersetshire. 



7. Ornithogalum Stachyodes ; Close-spiked Star of Beth- 

 lehem. Raceme very long ; petals lanceolate, oblong ; fila- 

 menta broad lanceolate, alternate ones shorter by half. Height 

 almost three feet ; flowers from fifty to sixty in number, ap- 

 pearing in April. Native of the south of Europe. For its 

 culture and propagation, see the first species. 



8. Ornithogalum Narbonense. Raceme oblong ; filamenta 

 lanceolate, membranaceous ; peduncles and flowers spreading. 

 Native of the south of France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and 

 Siberia. 



9. Ornithogalum Latifolium ; Broad-leaved Star of Beth- 

 lehem. Raceme very long ; leaves lanceolate, ensiform. 

 Bulb large ; root-leaves several, broad, sword-shaped, spread- 

 ing on the ground ; stalk thick, strong, between two ana 

 three feet high, bearing a long spike of large white flower 

 upon long pedicels : one hundred flowers are said to have 

 been counted on a single spike: they appear in June. Native 

 of Egypt and Arabia. For its propagation and culture, see 

 the first species. 



10. Ornithogalum Longibracteatum. Raceme very long ; 

 leaves lanceolate, ensiform. Native of the Cape. See tne 

 second species. 



11. Ornithogalum Comosum. Raceme very short ; bractes 

 lanceolate, the length of the flowers ; petals blunt. Stems 

 assurgent, clothed on the upper part with numerous miu- 

 white flowers, of a medicated odour. 



12. Ornithogalum Pyramidale ; Pyramidal Star of Beth- 

 lehem. Raceme conical; flowers numerous, ascending ; petals 

 elliptical, oblong, flat; stamina lanceolate, equal ; style very 

 short. Bulb very large, oval, from which arise several long 

 keeled leaves, of a dark green colour; in the middle of these 

 spring up a naked stalk, nearly three feet high, terminated 

 by a long conical spike of white flowers, on pretty long pedi- 

 cels. It flowers in June, and the seeds ripen in August. It 

 grows naturally upon the hills in Spain and Portugal, but has 

 been long cultivated in the English gardens by the name of 

 Star of Bethlehem. See the first species. 



13. Ornithogalum Unifolium ; One-leafed Star of Beth- 

 lehem. Leaf radical, solitary, fleshy, oblong, ciliate ; scape 

 naked ; raceme shoit. 



