Ornithogalum thyrsoides.
Known as Chincherinchee it is in Family Asparagaceae or, in Australia, in Hyacinthaceae or Liliaceae.
Native to S.W. Africa it is also seen as Star of Bethlehem a name associated with other species as well.
It is naturalised in some southern areas of Australia where it is an invasive weed.
It is used as a garden plant and for cut flowers.
It grows from a roughly spherical bulb up to 5 cm across.
It does not produce bulbils as some species do.
Each bulb can have up to 12 fleshy, bright green leaves.
These are up to 30 cm long and 6 cm wide with tiny hairs on the edges.
The leafless inflorescence stalk can be up to 1 m high.
The cluster of flowers at the top can be up to 20 cm long with up to 70 flowers.
Initially the cluster is pyramidal with the lower flowers opening first but as those higher up open
it becomes more ovoid or spherical.
Each flower is on a pedicel up to 5 cm long with a short bracteole at the base.
The shallow cup-shaped flowers are 4 to 5 cm across.
The 6 white tepals, in 2 whorls are ovate to oblong with a pointed tip.
When the flowers open the tepals usually have a green area at the base.
This gradually fades and it may be absent in older flowers.
There is no green stripe on the outer surface.
The 6 stamens are in 2 whorls with the outer 3 opposite the outer tepals and the inner 3 opposite the inner tepals.
The outer 3 stamens have flat white filaments with a broad base.
The inner three have linear filaments with very wide thin appendages on either side of the base.
The dorsifixed anthers open inwards via longitudinal slits.
The green to greenish-brown, oblong ovary is superior.
The single apical style is slightly shorter than the ovary.
It has a small 3-lobed stigma with papillae.
The fruit are loculicidal capsules.
There are some cultivars.
J.F.
