Star of Bethlehem Ornithogalum umbellatum Description Sold as an ornamental. Flowers and bulbs are toxic, containing glycosides similar to Digitalis, which can cause shortness of breath, skin irritation and severe swelling. Habit Herbaceous, growing from bulbs with annual renewal. Bulbs are ovoid in shape and measure 0.5-1.5 in. in length. Exterior of bulb is membranous. Leaves Shiny, dark green in color, narrow and linear with distinct white midrib. 4-12 in. long and 0.1-0.2 in. wide that are hollow in a cross-section. Stems Source: MISIN. 2021. Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. Michigan State University - Applied Spatial Ecology and Technical Services Laboratory. Available online at https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail.php?id=428. Flowers 6 petals, white in color, 0.5-0.75 in. in diameter, that resemble a star. Occur at the ends of leafless flowering stems (scapes) and can grow up to 1 ft. in height but are normally shorter. Umbel-like raceme contains 3-10 flowers. Bloom from May to June. Fruits and Seeds 3-lobed capsule containing several oval black seeds. Habitat Native to North Africa, Portugal, Spain, Italy, France and Turkey. Can be found along the banks of rivers and streams, disturbed sites, early succession forests, forest edges, floodplain forests, wet meadows, yards and gardens. Reproduction Similar Resembles wild garlic or onion upon emergance. Monitoring and Rapid Response Non-responsive to several herbicides though research suggests Paraquat provides 70-78% control. Credits The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from the USDA Forest Service Weed of the Source: MISIN. 2021. Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. Michigan State University - Applied Spatial Ecology and Technical Services Laboratory. Available online at https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail.php?id=428. Week 06-24-05. Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org). Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com). Source: MISIN. 2021. Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. Michigan State University - Applied Spatial Ecology and Technical Services Laboratory. Available online at https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail.php?id=428..