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.

1–7+, commonly producing either cluster of stalked, basal bulbels or filiform rhizomes to 1 dm, terminated by bulbels, rhizomes generally lost when specimens are collected, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.6–1.8 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light brown to gray, membranous, obscurely cellular-reticulate, cells rectangular, walls minutely sinuous, vertical, varying to irregular, all sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats white to pink, 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, green at anthesis, 2–5, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, 8–30 cm × 1–13 mm, margins entire.

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 or clustered 1–3, erect, solid, terete, 10–30(–40) cm × 1–5 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, loose, 15–40-flowered, globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–4-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.

stellate, 7–10 mm;

tepals spreading, lilac to white, lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, not carinate, margins entire, apex acuminate, not involute;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary conspicuously crested;

processes 6, central, distinct, flattened, triangular, margins papillose-denticulate;

style included, linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel 10–20 mm, often becoming flexuous and deflexed in fruit.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

= 14.

= 14, 28.