Flora of North America species comparison

1–4+, rhizomes, if present, secondary, inconspicuous, 2 cm or less including renewal bulb, ± thick, terminated by new bulb, parent bulbs disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and bulb coat, not basally clustered, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing renewal bulbs or not, grayish or brownish, with or without obscure, delicate, cellular markings, sometimes striate, membranous, cells elongate, in regular vertical rows, without fibers;

inner bulb coats whitish or pinkish, cells obscure, ± quadrate or rectangular and vertically elongate.

1–4+, without rhizome, with or without basal bulbels, often clustered, ovoid, 1–2.5 × 0.6–3 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish or grayish, reticulate, cells fine-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats whitish, cells vertically elongate, sometimes contorted, walls straight or ± sinuous.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–5, basally sheathing, sheaths not extended much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, channeled, 10–21 cm × 1–3 mm, margins and veins sometimes denticulate.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–6, basally sheathing, sheaths extending less than 1/4 scape;

blade solid, flat, channeled, not carinate, 20–50 cm × 1–7 mm, margins entire or denticulate, apex acute to obtuse.

persistent, solitary, occasionally 2 or more produced successively from single bulb, erect, solid, terete, 15–30 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, usually solitary, erect, terete, 10–60 cm × 1–5 mm.

persistent, erect, loose, 5–20-flowered, conic, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3–5-veined, lanceolate, apex acuminate.

persistent, erect, loose, 0–60-flowered, hemispheric to globose, bulbils unknown or flowering pedicels replaced at least in part by bulbils;

spathe bracts persistent, 3–4, 3–7-veined, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, apex acuminate, beakless.

stellate to campanulate, 4–8 mm;

tepals ± spreading, white or pale pink (particularly on midribs), lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery and withering in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow or purple;

pollen yellow;

ovary crestless;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel unequal, 10–20 mm.

urceolate-campanulate, 4–8 mm;

tepals erect or spreading, white to pink or lavender, lanceolate to elliptic, ± equal, withering in fruit and exposing capsule, midribs somewhat thickened, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary, when present, crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 8–70 mm.

coat dull;

cells ± smooth.

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

= 14.