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.

1–9;

blade lanceolate to linear, plane or margins and/or midribs variously raised and thickened (then H- or X-shaped in cross section), or evidently terete, midribs and margins much thickened, grooved;

grooves 4, narrow, longitudinal.

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, partly to fully secund or with flowers weakly distichous;

bracts green, sometimes flushed grayish purple, unequal, outer usually exceeding inner, acute or inner forked or notched apically.

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.

somewhat fragrant, zygomorphic [actinomorphic];

tepals basally connate into tube, variously colored, usually with contrasting markings comprising nectar guide on outer tepals, usually unequal, dorsal tepal largest, arched to hooded over stamens, outer 3 tepals narrower;

perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped to cylindric;

stamens usually unilateral;

anthers usually parallel;

style usually arching over stamens, dividing into 3 filiform branches, these distally expanded.

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

usually slightly inflated, oblong to ellipsoid or globose [rarely nearly cylindric], softly cartilaginous.

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.

usually many, broadly winged; rarely few, wingless, globose or angular;

seed coat light to dark brown.

= 15.