Ornithogalum L.

25. Ornithogalum L. 1

Bulbous perennials. Bulbs usually ovoid, of free or concrescent, concentric scales, renewed each year or progressively over 2-4 years. Leaves basal. Flowers in a corymbiform or elongate raceme. Perianth-segments 6, free or scarcely connate at the base, petaloid. Stamens 6; filaments simple or 3-dentate; anthers dorsifixed, introrse. Fruit a loculicidal capsule; seeds numerous, globose to elongate-prismatic or flattened.

Many characters, especially of the flowers and bulbs, can only be seen properly on live material or on material preserved in fixative; dried material is often unsuitable for determination and cannot be adequately reconstituted by boiling or other techniques.

The classification adopted here relies heavily on features of the bulbs and type of germination and departs, thereby, considerably from more traditional systems.

Literature: J. G. Baker, Jour. Linn. Soc. London (Bot.) 13: 257—285 (1873). C. Zahariadi, Rev. Biol. (Bucarest) 7: 5-41 (1962); Rev. Roum. Biol. (Bot.) 10: 272-291 (1965); Bot. Żur. 62: 1624-1639 (1977); Ann. Mus. Goulandris 3: 51-75 (1977).

N. D. Agapova, Bot. Żur. 51: 210-220 (1966); 59:406-414 (1974).

J. Cullen &. J.A.Ratter, Notes Roy.Bot.Gard.Edinb. 27: 293-339 (1967). F. Garbari & N. Tornadore, Atti Soc. Tose. Sci. Nat.

ser. B, 77: 101-111 (1971).

1 Pedicels not more than 10 mm at anthesis and not more than

15 mm in fruit; inflorescence usually narrowly spiciform

2 Plant 35-100 cm; leaves 4-6; capsule 17-20 mm 9. reverchonii 2 Plant 15-40 cm; leaves 1-3; capsule 10-12 mm

3 Leaf solitary; ovary obovoid-lanceolate, truncate at apex; bulbs 8-12 mm in diameter 33. unifolium 3 Leaves 2—3(—4); ovary lanceolate-fusiform, attenuate at apex; bulbs 12-25 mm in diameter 34. concinnimi 1 Pedicels usually more than 10 mm at anthesis, usually more than 15 mm in fruit; inflorescence racemose to corymbose, rarely spiciform

4 At least the inner filaments tricuspidate

5 All filaments with the longitudinal crest of the mid-vein not toothed at apex; ovary ovoid to subglobose, shorter than style 30. nutans 5 A t least the inner filaments with the longitudinal crest of

the mid-vein toothed at apex; ovary attenuate-ovoid, longer

or shorter than style 31. boucheanum 4 Filaments entire

6 Perianth 50-65 mm in diameter; ovary blackish-violet

32. arabicum 6 Perianth 20-45 mm in diameter; ovary glaucous, green or yellowish

7 Raceme elongate-cylindrical, usually with 20-80 flowers;

pedicels subequal, erect in fruit and appressed to axis of

inflorescence

8 Perianth hyaline or greenish-white, yellowish or greenish

inside; margins of segments inrolled longitudinally

after anthesis

9 Lower bracts ovate; ovary attenuate, conical at apex

3. visianicum 9 Lower bracts lanceolate; ovary truncate or rounded at

apex

10 Perianth hyaline or pale greenish-white 2. sphaerocarpum

10 Perianth yellowish to greenish

11 Ovary usually longer than wide, cylindrical to ovoidlanceolate; style 2-5-4 mm, equalling or scarcely longer than ovary; flowering May-June

1. pyrenaicum 11 Ovary globose or subglobose; style (3—)3-5—4-5(—5) mm, usually longer than ovary; flowering JulySeptember 4. creticum 8 Perianth milky-white inside; margins of segments seldom inrolled after anthesis

12 Perianth-segments with a green stripe outside in the apical part only or without a stripe; flowers with disagreeable odour 10. fischeranum 12 Perianth-segments with a green stripe almost throughout their length outside; flowers odourless

13 Anthers greenish; ovary attenuate-conical at apex; capsule attenuate-apiculate at apex 8. prasinantheruni 13 Anthers yellow; ovary usually truncate at apex; capsule not apiculate but sometimes mucronate at apex

14 Ovary 2-1-2-5 mm; style usually shorter than ovary, thickened and conical at base; green stripe on outside of outer perianth-segments lanceolate

7. pyramidale 14 Ovary (2-5-)3-5-5 mm; style usually longer than ovary, filiform throughout; green stripe on outside of outer perianth-segments narrowly ligulate

15 Ovary ovoid-lanceolate; style more than 3-5 mm, distinctly longer than ovary 5. narbonense 15 Ovary cylindrical; style not more than 3-5 mm, shorter than or scarcely longer than ovary

6. ponticum 7 Raceme usually short and corymbiform at anthesis (rarely ± cylindrical), usually with 2—15(—25) flowers; lower pedicels longer than upper, not appressed to axis of inflorescence in fruit

16Leaves without a white stripe on upper surface, the margins often thin, of 2 layers of epidermal cells

17 Capsule at maturity with ±winged angles, pendent; base of pedicels becoming flaccid 11. oligophyllum 17 Capsule at maturity with obtuse or keeled angles, erect, horizontal or deflexed; base of pedicels not becoming flaccid

18 Leaves pubescent or ciliate (sometimes very shortly so)

19 Leaves with slender, short cilia, glabrous on the surfaces; inflorescence raised above the soilsurface; pedicels patent or ascending at maturity

23. comosum 19 Leaves pubescent at least on lower surface or only ciliate; inflorescence resting on the soil-surface; pedicels deflexed at maturity 15. fimbriatum 18 Leaves glabrous, not ciliate but sometimes scabrid on the margin

20 Leaves green or scarcely glaucous, flat; capsule with apical lobes equally spaced 12. montanum 20 Leaves glaucous, sometimes twisted; capsule ± truncate at apex, with apical lobes contiguous in pairs

21 Leaves (8-)10-22 mm wide, with wide translucent margin; seeds 3-3-5 mm 13. atticum 21 Leaves (2—)4—8(—10) mm wide, with narrow translucent margin; seeds 2-2-2-7 mm 14. oreoides 16Leaves with a white stripe on upper surface (often not visible on dried material), with normal margins

22 Leaves pubescent beneath 26. armeniacilm 22 Leaves glabrous, sometimes ciliate

23 Ovary narrowly cylindrical; young capsule with 3 obtuse angles

24 Anthers without coloured cells at insertion of filament; angles of ovary not thickened on the back, scarcely sulcate 19. amphibolum 24 Anthers with a group of reddish-brown cells at insertion of filament; angles of ovary slightly thickened on the back, sulcate in the upper |

17. costatum

23 Ovary usually elongate-cylindrical to obconical;

capsule (before maturity) with 6 ± definite, narrowly winged or obtusely thickened angles

25 Pedicels ascending in flower, arcuate-recurved in fruit

(especially the lower ones) so that the capsule rests on the soil 18. woronowii

25 Pedicels ascending to deflexed but not arcuate-recurved in fruit

26 Ovary and capsule with 3 distinct pairs of wings 20. wiedemannii

26 Ovary and capsule smooth or keeled but not winged

27 Pedicels deflexed in fruit, sometimes appressed to axis of inflorescence, with a motor pulvinus at base; aerial part of scape short or absent

28 Bulb with concrescent scales, surrounded by numerous bulbils which remain dormant for at least a year 27. refractum

28 Bulb with free scales, without bulbils, or with a few offsets which grow out in their first year

29 Pedicels after anthesis (but while still green) flaccid and sulcate at apex; ovary ovoid, less than 1 | times as long as wide, equalling or slightly longer than style 21. sibthorpii

29 Pedicels after anthesis (but while still green)

rigid and terete at apex; ovary lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, more than l | times as long as wide, as long as or shorter than style

22. exscapum

27 Pedicels ascending to ± patent in fruit, without a distinct motor pulvinus at the base; aerial part of scape usually long

30 Capsule before dehiscence with 6 strongly thickened angles, separated by deep furrows;

testa with linear subepidermal cells; bulbs sprouting in spring 29. exaratum

30 Capsule before dehiscence with 6 scarcely to strongly thickened, keeled or rounded angles,

separated by shallow furrows; testa with ovate to orbicular subepidermal cells; bulbs sprouting in autumn

31 Bulb surrounded by bulbils which remain dormant for at least a year; fruiting pedicels patent or ± deflexed 28. divergens

31 Bulb without bulbils, or with offsets which grow out in their first year; fruiting pedicels ascending to patent, rarely deflexed

32 Offsets numerous, forming tufts of leaves around the bulb; capsule usually with 6 equally spaced angles 24. umbellatum

32 Offsets absent or few, not forming tufts of leaves around the bulb; capsule usually with

3 distinct pairs of angles

33 Bulb-scales free 16. collinum

33 Bulb-scales concrescent 25. orthophyllum