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.

several, sometimes prostrate;

blade plane, lanceolate [ensiform or oblong].

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.

spicate, secund, usually strongly flexed basally, ± horizontal, several–many-flowered;

bract green [pale straw colored], coriaceous or membranous.

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.

often strongly fragrant, zygomorphic;

tepals connate into tube, mostly white or yellow, sometimes pink or red, subequal, outer whorl slightly larger than inner;

perianth tube cylindric or funnel-shaped, short or long proximally, abruptly expanded into short to long tube or flared distally;

stamens asymmetrically disposed, unilateral;

anthers usually parallel;

style arching over filaments, dividing into 3 filiform branches.

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

irregularly globose, usually rugose.

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.

several per locule, globose, without wings;

seed coat light to dark brown, hard, shiny.

tunicate, conic, ca. 10 mm diam.;

tunics fibrous;

fibers fine, pale, reticulate.

= 11.