19. Ornithogalum L.

Plants perennial, with bulbs covered by a membranous to papery, smooth, outer coat, lacking the odor of onion or garlic, glabrous. Aerial stems unbranched, erect or ascending. Leaves 3–15, basal, linear, flat, green with a white midrib on the upper surface. Inflorescences at the tips of the aerial stems, racemes of 3–12 flowers, with leaflike bracts at the nodes. Sepals and petals free, broadly spreading, narrowly oblong-elliptic to lanceolate, white with a broad, green, longitudinal stripe on the outer (under) surface. Stamens 6, free. Style 1, the stigma entire or shallowly 3-lobed. Ovary superior, with 3 locules, each with numerous ovules. Fruits ovoid to obovoid, bluntly trigonous capsules with few to no viable seeds. About 120 species, Europe, Asia, Africa.

The bulbs of Ornithogalum species contain a variety of alkaloids and are thus poisonous. They should not be confused with those of wild onions.