Flora of North America species comparison

2–10+, not rhizomatous, ovoid or more elongate, 1–2.5 × 0.8–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray or brown, reticulate, cells rather coarse-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats whitish, cells vertically elongate and regular or obscure.

1–5+, increase bulbs absent or ± equaling parent bulbs, never appearing as basal cluster, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, ovoid to ± globose, 0.6–1 cm × 6–10 mm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown to gray-brown, prominently cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells arranged in ± vertical rows, forming distinct herringbone pattern, transversely elongate, V-shaped, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells not visible or arranged in vertical rows, forming distinct herringbone pattern, ± transversely elongate.

persistent, usually green at anthesis, usually 3–5, sheathing less than 1/4 scape;

blade solid, ± straight, flat, channeled, (6–)12–30 cm × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire or denticulate.

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

blade solid, subterete or ± channeled, straight to arcuate, 8–30 cm × 1–3 mm, margins entire.

persistent, solitary, erect, terete or somewhat 2-angled, 10–50 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 12–45 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, erect, compact, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric to globose, not producing bulbils, or 0–5-flowered, largely replaced by ovoid, acuminate bulbils;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, mostly 1-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate, beakless.

persistent, erect, loose, 5–35-flowered, hemispheric to conic, bulbils unknown;

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

urceolate-campanulate, (4–)6–8(–10) mm;

tepals erect or spreading, pink to white, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, not withering in fruit and permanently investing fruit, or withering if fruit not produced, midribs papillose, becoming callous-keeled, margins often obscurely toothed, apex obtuse to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary when present, inconspicuously crested;

processes 6, central, low, distinct or connate in pairs across septa, ± erect, rounded, margins entire, becoming variously developed or obsolete in fruit;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed;

pedicel becoming rigid and stiffly spreading in fruit, 8–13 mm.

campanulate, 8–15 mm;

tepals erect, reddish purple, lanceolate to elliptic, unequal, outer tepals longer and wider than inner, becoming rigid and ± carinate in fruit, margins entire or inner minutely denticulate, never crisped, apex acute or short-acuminate, inner tepals spreading at tip, outer ± recurved;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crested;

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

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed to distinctly 3-lobed;

pedicel 8–40 mm.

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.