Ornithogalum

Ornithogalum is a genus of bulbous, mostly deciduous and few evergreen perennials in the Hyacinthaceae family, commonly known as chincherinchees.

The bulbs, usually underground, grow solitary or in colonies. The bulb scales sometimes continue upwards into bulb necks. Bulbils are often formed.

The plants grow one to many leaves, before or concurrent with the flowers. The leaves grow in basal rosettes or in two ranks. They are thread-like to oblong or lanceolate in shape, usually with acutely pointed tips. Leaf margins are smooth, fringed or rough, the blades sometimes hairy. Tubular cataphylls are present in some species.

The inflorescence is mostly a slender or flat-topped raceme on an erect, curved or angled scape. Bracts are present, varying in size. The six-tepalled flowers may spread in a star-shape or curve into a cup- or bell-shape. They are scented, the pedicels varying in length. Flower colours range across green, white, yellow, orange, red or buff, sometimes with a dark centre or a stripe on the outside of each tepal. Tepals are mostly free to the base, in two nearly equal whorls.

There are six stamens, the anthers turned inwards and the filaments angled outwards. The three-locular ovary is superior, globular or three-angled and sessile or stalked. There is sometimes a cylindrical style present. The stigma varying in size, is sometimes three-lobed.

The fruit is a capsule, sometimes three-angled and ribbed, transparent or leathery. The disc-like seeds vary in size and shape, shiny black and sometimes smooth.

There are about 200 Ornithogalum species occurring in Africa, Europe and western Asia; 70 of them in southern Africa. The habitat is dry to marshy. Many local species are winter-growing and spring-flowering.

The plants are well-known in horticulture. Some species are poisonous and cause stock losses. The chincherinchee common name is onomatopoeic, reflecting the sound produced when the stems are drawn across each other.

The plant in picture is Ornithogalum strictum growing in the Biedouw Valley (Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007).