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.

1–5+, not rhizomatous, ovoid, 1–5 × 1–2 cm;

outer coats usually enclosing single bulb, grayish or brownish, reticulate, cells very fine-meshed, open;

inner coats whitish, cells vertically elongate, regular.

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, 3+, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, channeled, 10–30 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 (sometimes 2 in cultivated plants), erect, terete, 20–30 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, 10–15-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbels unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 3, usually 1-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex long-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, 5–6 mm;

tepals widely spreading, pinkish, elliptic, ± equal, remaining thin and withering over ovary, margins entire, apex obtuse, involute at tip;

stamens included;

anthers light yellow;

pollen white to light yellow;

ovary crested;

processes 6, central, horizontally spreading, flattened, triangular, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 9–20 mm.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

= 14.

= 14.