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IFFY EDIBLES - Proceed at your own risk

STAR OF BETHLEHEM /Ornithogalum Umbellatum

FROM: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ornithogalum+umbellatum 

CAUTION:  Skin contact with the bulb can cause dermatitis in sensitive people. The bulb contains alkaloids and is poisonous. Another report says that the bulb is poisonous to grazing animals.

EDIBLE: flowers and root.  Bulb - raw or cooked. The bulbs can be dried and ground into a powder. Whilst the bulbs are palatable and wholesome according to some reports, some caution is advised. See the notes above on toxicity. Flowers - baked in bread.

MEDICINAL USE: A homeopathic remedy is made from the bulbs. It is useful in the treatment of certain forms of cancer. The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'After effect of shock, mental or physical'. It is also one of the five ingredients in the 'Rescue remedy'

LINKS:

• https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Ornithogalum+umbellatum

• https://www.eattheweeds.com/edible-flowers-part-nineteen The Star of Bethlehem started out in central and southern Europe, North Africa, southeast Asia and presumably Levant. When it came to North America is not known but it escaped. Now it is found in most of North American except the Rocky Mountain states and due north into Canada. Botanically Ornithogalum umbellatum the cooked bulbs are sometime eaten. Raw bulbs have been implicated in animal poisonings.We, however, are more interested in higher up. The flowers are traditionally eaten baked in bread. The unopened inflorescence of a relative, Ornithogalum pyrenaicum, are cooked and served like asparagus. It’s a seasonal food in southwest England around Bath and Bristol.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithogalum_umbellatum

• https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/ORUM

• https://levelupgarden.com/star-of-bethlehem

• https://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/starbe89.html

• https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1163/star-of-bethlehem

• https://sacredearth.com/2022/06/01/star-of-bethlehem-ornithogalum-umbellatum Is Star of Bethlehem poisonous? Biochemical research confirms that Star of Bethlehem contains cardioactive glycosides that are potentially toxic. But further investigation showed, that they do not survive being subjected to digestive juices, which would explain the controversy. An early study published by Arthur Vogelsang in 1961 notes that the effect of Star of Bethlehem is quite different depending on whether it is taken orally or injected. To test his hypothesis and confirm that the coating prevents the breakdown of the cardio-active compounds in the stomach. He compared Star of Bethlehem with Digitoxin and observed that its extract slowed the heart rate to a lesser degree than digitoxin while increasing the strength of the cardiac contraction and the excretion of body fluid. Star of Bethlehem also caused less nausea. Overall, Star of Bethlehem is a gentle yet highly effective heart drug that can be given to reduce blood pressure, strengthen the pulse and increase the discharge of excess fluid. It is particularly helpful for patients that do not tolerate digitoxin well.