Star Of Bethlehem, a name for the plant Ornithogalum umbellatum, which is also called "eleven-o'clock-lady " (Fr. dame d'onze heures), as its flowers open about 11 o'clock; and as they close at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, it is in some localities known as "Johnny-go-to-bed." It belongs to the lily family, and has a small bulb, from which arise narrow, grass-like leaves, with a white line in the middle, and a scape 6 to 8 in. high, bearing a corymb of a few bright white flowers, consisting of six sepals, which are green in the middle on the outside. A native of southern and central Europe, this was formerly a common garden plant, and has escaped and become naturalized in the older states. The genus Ornithogalum (Gr. όρνιζ, a bird, and γάλα milk, a whimsical name) includes several larger and more showy species, cultivated as hardy garden bulbs.

Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum).