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.

usually solitary, forming rhizomes;

rhizomes 1–2, terminated by 1–3 new bulbs, short, slender;

parent bulb disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and bulb coats, not basally clustered, oblique-ovoid, 1–1.5 × 0.9–1.5 cm;

outer coats not enclosing bulbs, pale brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells polygonal to oblong, walls thick, obscurely sinuous, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells ± transversely elongate, intricately contorted.

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, withering from tip by anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, subterete to ± channeled, 10–28 cm × 1–2 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, erect, solid, terete, 20–40 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, loose, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3-veined, lanceolate to lance-ovate, ± 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, 11–16 mm;

tepals erect, pink to rose-purple, lanceolate, unequal, outer tepal longer and wider than inner, becoming rigid and keeled in fruit, margins finely denticulate (inner tepal more prominently so), apex acute to narrowly obtuse, becoming involute and appearing long-acuminate, flaring toward tips;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

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

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 10–25 mm.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells minutely roughened.

= 14.

= 14.