Ornithogalum dubium, the orange-flowered ornithogale

Ornithogalum dubium, sometimes called dubious ornithogale, owes its nickname to its unusual appearance. Unlike other species in the genus with white flowers, such as ornithogalum arabicum (Ornitogalum arabicum), it is distinguished by its bright, colorful, often orange bloom.

Ornithogalum dubium is a flowering bulbous perennial. It can reach 50 centimetres in height.

Foliage forms a rosette of three to eight upright, ribboned green leaves. They form a tuft at the base of the stem. The leaves are deciduous and disappear after the flowering period, once the bulb has built up its reserves.

Each bulb produces several pruinose flower stalks up to 25 centimetres long. These bear cylindrical inflorescences, housing between five and twenty-five flowers. The star-shaped flowers have orange petals and a brown heart. In its native South Africa, Ornithogalum dubium blooms in winter. In the northern hemisphere, it blooms between December and March when grown indoors, and in summer when planted outdoors.

After flowering, the dubious ornithogale produces a round fruit containing shiny black seeds,

Like many bulbous plants, Ornithogalum dubium is toxic to animals and humans. All parts are affected, but the toxins are particularly concentrated in the bulb. If ingested, Ornithogalum dubium causes digestive disorders (diarrhea, vomiting), nausea and cardiac symptoms (arrhythmia, bradycardia or fibrillation).