Ornithogalum arabicum.
Arab’s Eyes, in Family Asparagaceae, is a perennial plant growing from bulbs.
New plants grow from the small bulbils at the base of the bulb.
Plants may form clumps and can become invasive.
The basal leaves, around 60 (50 to 80) cm long are strap-like and lack a petiole.
They arch over rather than stay erect.
The green to bluish-green leaves die off each year.
The erect leafless flower stalks (scapes) are around 60 cm tall and hold the flowers above the leaves.
At the top of the scape is a cluster of white flowers on pedicels up to 4 cm long.
There is a papery bracteole at the base of each pedicel.
The cup to star-shaped flowers, up to 3 cm across, have 6 tepals in 2 whorls of three.
There is no green stripe on their outer surface.
The 6 stamens have linear to broad-based filaments without appendages.
The superior dark green ovary matures to a shiny black.
The stigma has 3 small lobes with papillae.
The fruit are loculicidal capsules.
Other species seen in Australia with black ovaries include O. thrysoides and O. saundersiae.
J.F.
