Flora of North America species comparison

1–6+, replaced annually with new bulbs borne terminally on rhizomes;

rhizomes 1–2, secondary, short;

parent bulb disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and shriveled bulb coat, oblique-ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.8 cm;

outer coats not or only partially enclosing bulbs, brown to gray-brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells very obscurely quadrate or not visible.

1–3, not clustered on primary rhizome, with 0–2 stalked basal bulbels, ovoid to globose, 1–1.6 × 0.8–1.4 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats pink or white, cells obscure, quadrate.

usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, (1–)2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, falcate, 10–33 cm × 1.5–10 mm, margins sometimes minutely denticulate.

persistent, 1, basally sheathing, sheath not extending much above soil level;

blade solid, terete, 8–22 cm × 1–2.5 mm.

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, ± erect, solid, flattened, winged distally, wings frequently crenulate proximal to umbel, 5–15 cm × 1–5 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 5–17 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, erect, compact, 10–25-flowered, conic to hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 8–10-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex acute.

persistent, erect, ± compact, 5–50-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, (2–)3, 3–6-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

campanulate, 6–12 mm;

tepals erect, pinkish with deeper pink midveins, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow or purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary obscurely crested;

processes 3, central, 2-lobed, minute, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 6–16 mm.

campanulate, 8–12 mm;

tepals erect, pale pink to deep reddish purple, rarely white, lanceolate to ovate, ± equal or inner longer and narrower than outer, becoming rigid and ± keeled in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen white or light yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, prominent, ± triangular, margins entire to notched or shallowly toothed;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma obscurely capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–22 mm.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat dull or shining;

cells minutely roughened.

= 14.