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.

3–4, not clustered on stout, primary rhizomes, ovoid, asymmetric, 2.5–3 × 2–5 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, light yellow to light brown, thin, papery, chartaceous, cells narrow, vertically elongate, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells narrow, vertically elongate.

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.

usually persistent, 3–6, scarcely ensheathing scape even basally, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, 10–60 cm × 10–25 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.

usually persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, fistulose, 60–100 cm × 5–10 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, 75–150-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–4, 11+-veined, 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.

stellate to subcampanulate, 6–9 mm;

tepals ± spreading, white with green midvein, narrowly oblong, ± equal, becoming ± rigid and reflexed in fruiting, margins entire, apex obtuse;

stamens included;

anthers yellow or purple, aborting without producing pollen;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling tepals;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 25–40 mm.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat not known.

= 14.