Ornithogalum fragiferum Villars, Hist. Pl. Dauph. 2. 270. 1787; Gagea emarginata Karelin & Kirilov.

Plants 8--15 cm tall. Bulb ovoid-globose, 5--8 mm in diam.; tunic brown-yellow, papery; bulbels absent. Leaves basal only, 1 or 2, semiterete, fistulose, 7--20 cm × 3--4 mm. Inflorescence usually 3--5-flowered, umbellate. Floral leaf broadly lanceolate, slightly shorter than or equaling inflorescence, 6--10 mm wide. Pedicels unequal, pilose. Tepals yellow adaxially, yellow-green abaxially, narrowly oblong. 1--2 cm × 3--4 mm, apex obtuse or emarginate. Stamens 5--10 mm. Style nearly as long as ovary. Capsule obovoid, trigonous, ca. 1/2 as long as enlarged, persistent tepals. Seeds globose. Fl. and fr. Apr--May.

The name Gagea fistulosa Ker Gawler, based on Ornithogalum fistulosum Ramond ex de Candolle, has been used for this species. However, both names are nomenclaturally superfluous and therefore illegitimate because when originally published they included in synonymy the earlier name O. bohemicum Zauschner (currently G. bohemica (Zauschner) Schultes & J. H. Schultes).

Meadows, moist places on forest margins, river flats; 1600--2300 m. W Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia)].