Ornithogalum is a
genus of
perennial plants mostly native to southern
Europe and
southern Africa belonging to the family
Asparagaceae. Some species are native to other areas such as the
Caucasus. Growing from a
bulb, species have linear basal leaves and a slender stalk, up to 30 cm tall, bearing clusters of typically white star-shaped flowers, often striped with green. The common name of the genus,
Star-of-Bethlehem, is based on its star-shaped flowers, after the
Star of Bethlehem that appeared in the
biblical account of the birth of
Jesus. The number of species has varied considerably, depending on authority, from 50 to 300.