Flora of North America species comparison

solitary, not basally clustered, replaced annually by new bulbs borne terminally on rhizome;

rhizomes 1–3, conspicuous, slender, 2–3 cm, scaly;

parent bulbs persisting, often not collected, oblique-ovoid, 1–2.5 × 1 cm;

outer coats enclosing parent bulbs, grayish, lacking cellular reticulation, membranous, without fibers;

inner coats white or hyaline, cells obscure, ± quadrate.

1–3, not rhizomatous, mostly depressed-globose, varying in size from cultivar to cultivar, 5–8 × 3–10 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, yellowish brown, red, or white, membranous, without reticulation;

inner coats white to pink, cells obscure to quadrate.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2–3, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, not falcate, 20–35 cm × 2–3 mm, margins entire.

persistent, 4–10, sheathing proximal 1/6–1/4 scape;

blade fistulose, usually ± semicircular in cross section, 10–50 cm × 4–20 mm.

solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–30 cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, fistulose, inflated below middle, 30–100 cm × 3–20 mm.

persistent, erect, loose, 5–15(–22)-flowered, globose to hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 3-veined, ovate to lance-ovate, ± equal, apex acute.

persistent, erect, compact, to 500-flowered, globose, bulbils occasionally found;

spathe bracts caducous, 2–3, 3–4-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute to acuminate.

stellate, 6–9 mm;

tepals erect, pink with purplish or pinkish midveins, oblong to lanceolate, slightly carinate basally, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow or pink;

pollen yellow or white;

ovary crestless, 3-grooved with thickened ridge on either side of groove;

style linear, shorter than stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 10–20(–50) mm.

stellate to campanulate to urceolate, 3–7 mm;

tepals erect to ± spreading, white to pink with greenish midveins, withering in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute, outer ovate, inner oblong;

stamens exserted;

anthers white;

pollen white;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel 10–50 mm.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

coat not known.

= 28.