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.

1–5, without basal bulbels, ovoid, 1–1.8 × 0.7–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, reticulate, cells fine-meshed, mostly closed in proximal 1/2 of bulb, fibrous;

inner coats whitish or brownish, cells intricately contorted, walls usually not 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, 2–5, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, channeled, 10–30 cm × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire.

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

persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 10–30 cm × 1–3 mm.

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

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

persistent, erect, compact to ± loose, usually 10–25-flowered, hemispheric-globose, rarely replaced by bulbils;

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

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.

campanulate to ± stellate, 6–9 mm;

tepals spreading, white, pink, or red, rarely greenish yellow, ovate to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery and rigid in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute, midribs somewhat thickened;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen light yellow;

ovary crestless;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed;

pedicel 5–20 mm.

coat dull;

cells ± smooth.

coat shining;

cells each usually with minute, central papilla.

= 14.

= 14, 28.