Star of Bethlehem, Madam Fate

Description:

A small-medium white flower that seems to grow on its own in ornamental plots as well as shaded open spaces. (It should not to be confused with another genus Ornithogalum, also called "Star of Bethlehem"). "Hippobroma longiflora is endemic to the West Indies, but has become naturalized across the American tropics and Oceania. It is notable for its concentrations of two pyridine alkaloids: lobeline and nicotine, with psychoactive effects at small dosages and with unpleasant effects including vomiting, muscle paralysis, and trembling at higher dosages. For this reason, H. longiflora is often referenced for both its toxicity and its ethnobotanical uses. The sap is an irritant which can be absorbed through the skin, and a small amount of sap in the eyes can cause blindness."

Habitat:

Observed growing at the base of ornamentals in a garden in the equatorial tropics of northern New Guinea.