Flora of North America species comparison

true stem aerial [subterranean and only peduncles of individual flowers aerial], 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–several;

blade linear, oval to terete in cross section, 4-grooved (2 on each surface, on either side of thickened midrib) [2-grooved].

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.

solitary flowers, interpreted as sessile, thus without pedicels;

bracts inserted at ovary base, green or flushed with purple, unequal, outer exceeding inner, firm, inner bract margins membranous to scarious (rarely entirely scarious).

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.

odorless [fragrant], actinomorphic;

tepals forming wide cup, connate into tube, subequal, outer whorl often slightly larger than inner;

perianth tube funnel-shaped [or cylindric];

stamens symmetrical;

filaments distinct [connate];

anthers usually erect, contiguous;

style branching opposite or beyond anthers into 3 slender branches divided for ± 1/2 length.

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

ovoid-oblong, walls firm, 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.

many, globose;

seed coat light to dark brown, often smooth, shiny.

= 13 or 14.