Tropical Plant Database - Plant Details

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 20 herbarium specimens for Hippobroma longiflora in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.

• 004500 - collected by John J. Fay in 1974
• 059766 - collected by Art Whistler in 1978
• 004501 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1982
• 093792 - collected by Derral Herbst in 1984
• 059765 - collected by Art Whistler in 1985
• 004503 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1985
• 004502 - collected by David H. Lorence in 1988
• 037877 - collected by Art Whistler in 1995
• 043114 - collected by Art Whistler in 1995
• 024906 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1996
• 028683 - collected by David H. Lorence in 1997
• 041480 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2002
• 043548 - collected by A. Dores in 2003
• 055521 - collected by Relio Lengsi in 2006
• 094658 - collected by S. T. Wakuk in 2007
• 051052 - collected by Michael J. Balick in 2007
• 066617 - collected by David E. Brussell in 2008
• S066598 - collected by David E. Brussell in 2008
• 072720 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2008
• 078670 - collected by K. R. Wood in 2018