Flora of North America species comparison

1–3, borne on stout, ± horizontal rhizome, elongate, cylindric or conic, 0.5–1.5 × 0.7–2 cm;

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

inner coats white, cells closely parallel, elongate.

2–10+, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brownish, membranous, with or without obscure reticulations, cells isodiametric or transversely elongate, ± contorted, without fibers;

inner coats white, pink, or red, cells obscure, ± quadrate.

withering from tip by anthesis, 2–5, sheathing scape to ± soil level;

blade solid, flat, carinate abaxially, 20–40 cm × 2–6 mm, margins entire.

usually deciduous with scape, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat to ± terete, channeled, 7–25 cm × 1–4 mm, margins entire or minutely denticulate.

persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 30–50 cm × 1–3 mm.

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, slightly flattened, with or without narrow, sometimes crenulate-denticulate wings, 5–12 cm × 1–2 mm.

persistent, erect, loose, 20–50-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 1–3, 3–7-veined, lance-ovate, shorter than pedicel, apex acuminate.

persistent, erect, compact, 5–25-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 8–11-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex obtuse to acuminate.

substellate, 4–9 mm;

tepals spreading, white with green or brownish midveins, lanceolate to elliptic, ± equal, withering and exposing capsule, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen white;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel 10–30 mm.

campanulate, 6–9 mm;

tepals erect, bright pink fading to white with dark midribs, rarely white, oblong to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins obscurely to distinctly serrulate-denticulate, apex obtuse to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary crestless;

style included, linear;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 3–10 mm.

coat shining;

cells smooth, irregularly shaped, with ± sinuous walls.

coat shining;

cells smooth.

= 14.