Ornithogalum narbonense L.

Family: LILIACEAE

Genus: Ornithogalum

Catalan common name: Calabruixa. Pipiu blanc.

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca. Ibiza. Formentera.

General distribution (Phytogeography): Mediterranean

IUCN Category: LCLeast concern

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Geophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Wild olive trees and other sclerophyllous shrublands. Juniperus phoenicea subsp. turbinata forest. Cultivated fields and garriques.

Characteristics: A herb with an underground bulb and long, sword-shaped leaves like many other species of the liliaceae family. It is recognised by its inflorescence which is a long raceme of flowers; the floral pieces are white inside and have green line outside. The flowers go on opening sequentially way from the bottom to the top so that every day there are some open flowers in the whole inflorescence. The fruits remain erect. The other species of the genus have the inflorescence in the shape of a false umbel (corymb), so confusion is not possible (eg. Ornithogalum arabicum). It lives in fields and along path-sides. It flowers at the end of spring.