Flora of North America species comparison

simple or branched.

aerial (or subterranean in Romulea), simple or branched, terete or variously compressed, angled or winged.

basal and cauline, distichous;

proximal 2–3 sometimes membranous, not reaching much above ground;

others with open or closed sheaths, usually unifacial [bifacial or terete], oriented edgewise to the stem;

blade parallel-veined, plane or pleated, channeled.

few, basal larger;

blade pleated, linear-lanceolate.

umbellate, monochasial cymes (rhipidia), spikes, or solitary flowers;

rhipidia enclosed in 2, opposed, usually large, leafy to dry bracts (spathes);

flowers except for the first subtended by 1 floral bract;

spike flowers each subtended by 2, opposed bracts.

rhipidiate, few-flowered;

spathes green, unequal, outer shorter than inner, apex usually brown, acute, dry.

usually pedicellate [± sessile];

perianth actinomorphic or zygomorphic, petaloid, with 2 equal or unequal whorls of 3 tepals each [1 whorl of 6];

tepals usually large, showy, distinct or connate in tube;

stamens 3 [2], inserted at base of outer tepals or in tube, symmetrically arranged or unilateral, arcuate [declinate];

filaments distinct or partly to completely connate, sometimes weak, unable to support anthers;

anthers with 2 pollen sacs, extrorse, occasionally latrorse, usually dehiscing longitudinally [rarely apically];

ovary inferior [superior in Tasmanian Isophysis], 3-locular [1-locular];

placentation axile [parietal];

ovules 2–few, anatropous;

style single, filiform at least proximally, usually 3-branched or 3-lobed, branches either filiform, distally expanded, sometimes each divided in distal 1/2, stigmatic toward apices, or branches thickened, or flattened, petaloid, stigmas then abaxial below apices.

short-lived, erect, actinomorphic;

tepals spreading from base, distinct, blue to mauve, ± equal [outer whorl considerably larger than inner];

stamens distinct or filaments variously connate;

anthers sometimes connate basally;

style eccentric [central] when flower fully open, recurving, slender, branching between middle of filaments and anther apices [branching distal to anthers or 3-lobed apically];

branches [lobes] ascending, undivided, short, stigmatic apically.

capsular, loculicidal, rarely indehiscent, firm to cartilaginous, occasionally woody.

ovoid to oblong, cartilaginous, apex truncate.

globose to angular (prismatic) or discoid, sometimes broadly winged;

seed coat usually dry (rarely fleshy);

endosperm hard, with reserves of hemicellulose, oil, and protein;

embryo small.

many, prismatic;

seed coat brown.

= 7.