Ornithogalum

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of herbaceous plants recognized for their distinctive star-shaped flowers, often inhabiting temperate regions and thriving in well-drained soil conditions
2. This genus includes various species noted for their charming, star-like blossoms, typically found in areas with moderate climates and favored environments
3. A genus of flowering plants characterized by their unique star-shaped blooms, commonly found in temperate zones and usually growing in well-draining soils

Etymology: Ornithogalum comes from Greek "ornithogalon", literally "bird's milk," a name Dioscorides and other ancient writers gave to a plant with white flowers. The compound joins "ornis" (bird) and "gala" (milk), and the name is thought to have been applied to several white-flowered bulbs, perhaps because of their pale, milky blooms. Modern botanists adopted it as the genus name, and it was taken into English as a scientific term. The plant most people know by its common name, star-of-Bethlehem, is a member of this genus. Its six-petalled white flowers open in a star shape, which is the source of that English name, and the genus has no connection to birds beyond the old Greek label. The original Greek name was applied to a different plant than the one the genus now covers, so the modern botanical usage is a reassignment of an ancient label rather than a continuous tradition.