Flora of North America species comparison

solitary, replaced annually by new bulbs borne terminally on secondary rhizome;

rhizomes 1–3, conspicuous, to 5 cm, smooth;

parent bulbs disappearing by anthesis except for still-functional roots and bulb coat, ovoid to oblique-ovoid, 1–2 × 0.8–1.5 cm;

outer coats not enclosing bulbs, pale brown, delicately cellular-reticulate, membranous, cells ± rectangular, without fibers;

inner coats white, cells obscure, ± transversely elongate, contorted.

1–3+, not rhizomatous, without basal bulbels, ovoid, 1.2–2.5 × 1–2 cm;

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

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

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

blade solid, flattened, sometimes carinate abaxially, ± falcate, 18–50 cm × 4–10 mm, margins entire.

persistent, green at anthesis, 2, sheathing;

blade solid, ± straight, channeled, semiterete, 10–40 cm × 1–3(–5) mm, margins entire or denticulate.

persistent, solitary, erect, solid, terete, 20–80 cm × 2–7 mm.

persistent, solitary, erect, ± terete, 5–30(–40) cm × 1–3 mm.

persistent, erect, loose, 15–35-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 6–8-veined, lance-ovate to broadly ovate, ± equal, apex acuminate.

persistent, erect, compact to ± loose, 15–30-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

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

stellate, 11–15 mm;

tepals spreading, bright pink or rarely white, obovate to ovate, unequal, becoming papery and connivent over capsule, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse or emarginate, inner shorter and narrower than outer;

stamens included;

anthers yellow or purple;

pollen yellow or gray;

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

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 15–40 mm.

urceolate to campanulate, 5–7 mm;

tepals erect, white or rarely pink, with red or reddish brown midribs;

outer whorl broadly ovate to lanceolate, unequal, becoming callous-keeled and permanently investing capsule, margins often obscurely toothed apically, apex obtuse to acuminate;

inner whorl narrower, margins entire, apex distinctly spreading;

stamens included;

anthers yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary ± conspicuously crested;

processes 6, central, distinct or connate in pairs across septa, ± erect, rounded, to 1 mm, margins entire, becoming variously developed or obsolete in fruit;

style linear, equaling filaments;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed;

pedicel 5–20 mm.

coat dull;

cells minutely roughened.

coat shining;

cells ± smooth, without central papillae.

= 14.

= 14, 28.