Star of Bethlehem is a perennial herb which forms a rosette of narrow lanceolate leaves that are thick, pubescentes and coarsely pinnatilobed. The plant contains a poisonous milky sap, an alkaloid, which can cause burns and irritation. The flowers are long and white, on a 2 cm pubescent pedicel in a shape of a star with bearded anthers. The fruit is a pubescent capsule divided in two cells with minute light brown seeds.
(Stone, B. C. 1970. The Flora of Guam. Micronesica.)
(Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai‘i.)
The native range of this flower is the West Indies. In Hawai‘iit is naturalized in low elevation and disturbed areas with moderate rainfall.
(Stone, B. C. 1970. The Flora of Guam. Micronesica.)
(Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawai‘i.)
(Information for this species compiled and recorded by Camelia Cirnaru, NTBG Consultant.)
We currently have 18 herbarium specimens for Hippobroma longiflora in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
