Rank Species | Higher classification Ornithogalum | |
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Similar Ornithogalum thyrsoides, Ornithogalum arabicum, Ornithogalum umbellatum, Scilloideae, Ornithogalum saundersiae | ||
Ornithogalum dubium
Ornithogalum dubium, common names sun star or star of Bethlehem, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. It is a South African (Cape Province) endemic.
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The Latin specific epithet dubium means "dubious" or "unlike others of the genus".
Fast life timelapse ornithogalum dubium
Description
Growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall, O. dubium is a bulbous perennial with 3-8 yellowish green leaves. The leaf margins are ciliate with scapes 10–25 cm (4–10 in) long. The flowers are borne in winter or spring, in cylindrical to almost spherical racemes consisting of 5-25 flowers. The tepals may be orange, red, yellow or rarely white, often with a green or brown center.
Cultivation
O. dubium is frost-tender and is best overwintered in a dry, frost-free place, then re-potted in spring. The main soil requirement is excellent drainage, with ample water early in the growth cycle, but dry during the dormant season.
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
