Ornithogalum nanum

[Tim Murphy]

I bought one of these at the Cyclamen Society show hald at RHS Wisley last Saturday, but I can find no information about it. Ornithogalum nanum is not listed in the RHS encyclopedia and there is very little info on the interweb; most searches lead to an image on the SRGC site.

Is 'nanum' an obsolete name? Or perhaps a new name? Any help would be very much appreciated.

[KentGardener]

Hi Tim

I have seen this on Jim Almonds website:

http://freespace.virgin.net/celia.almond/Lough02.htm

cheers

John

[hadacekf]

Hi Tim,
Ornithogalum sibthorpii often grown under the synonym O. nanum. It occurs in Turkey and the Balkan on grassy hillsides over a wide altitude range. I cultivate this very dwarf and easy growing species in the meadow in my garden. It also survives occasional mowing and increases well by seed.
I think I show the pictures a year ago in the old Forum.

[Tim Murphy]

Thank you John and Franz for your speedy replies. I am a complete ignoramus when it comes to anything other than hellebores and cyclamen

[Martin Baxendale]

Brian Mathew, in Dwarf Bulbs, says 'O. nanum is very dwarf, up to 5cm when in flower, with many narrowly linear leaves in a basal tuft. Flowers about 1.5cm diameter, white with broad green stripe along each segment, produced in a dense head-like raceme. Wild in Italy and Balkans on grassy hillsides at low altitudes. Possibly only a variant of O. exscapum.'