Ορνιθόγαλο το κοντόποδο
Etymology of Ornithogalum pedicellare: Ancient Greek "ὀρνιθόγαλον" [ornithogalon] derives from "ὄρνιθος + γάλα" [ornithos + gala] and literally means "hen's milk" which is an expression for the "abundance, richness, splendid", referring to the abundance/splendidness of flowers of the initially named Ornithogalum species (if that initial plant was one or more). "Pedicellare" is Latin and it means "bearing small feet", referring to its short stalk.
Six Ornithogalum species have so far been identified in the Cypriot habitat, of which one grows exclusively in occupied Cyprus.
Ornithogalum pedicellare is a flower with a very short life span. It exists in all Cyprus's districts and it blooms in March at an altitude of up to 1650 metres. It is indigenous and endemic.
How to identify Ornithogalum pedicellare:
It is very similar to the Ornithogalum divergens species that also grow in Limassol but they have different stemon. In pedicellare the pollen tube constitutes of one stigma and in divergens in six stigmas. "Pedicellus" in Latin means "small foot".
Additionally, compared to Ornithogalum trichophyllum which's lower pedicels are 1-1.5 cm long with 4-8 leaves, Ornithogalum pedicellare's lower pedicels are 2-7 cm long and its leaves are usually 5-12 or more.
