Flora of North America species comparison

usually 1 of a cluster, sometimes short-rhizomatous basally, elongate, to 5 × 1–1.5 cm;

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

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

usually solitary, not clustered on stout, primary rhizome, ovoid, 0.8–1.6 × 0.6–1.4 cm;

outer coats enclosing single bulb, brownish, membranous, with ± obscure reticulations, cells isodiametric to transversely elongate, often contorted, without fibers;

inner coats white to pink, cells obscure, quadrate.

persistent, green at anthesis, 3–6, sheathing;

blade solid, flat, broadly channeled, 25–50 cm × 3–7 mm, margins entire or minutely denticulate.

usually dedicuous with scape, green at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extended much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat to ± terete, linear, broadly channeled, 4–22 cm × 1–2 mm, margins entire.

persistent, solitary, erect, terete or ± 4-angled, 30–50 cm × 1–3.5 mm.

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, slightly flattened, very narrowly winged or not, 1–5 cm × 0.5–2 mm.

persistent, erect, loose, 10–25-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2–3, 3–5-veined, lanceolate, ± equal, apex long-acuminate.

persistent, erect, compact, 5–15-flowered, hemispheric, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 6–9-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex obtuse or acute.

± stellate, 5–10 mm;

tepals spreading or reflexed, white or pink, lanceolate, ± equal, withering in fruit and exposing capsules, margins entire, apex acute, midrib becoming noticeably thickened;

stamens ± equaling tepals to exserted;

anthers purple;

pollen light yellow;

ovary conspicuously crested;

processes 6, central, usually connate in pairs across septa, ± erect, flattened, to 2 mm, margins lacerate, usually well developed in fruit;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed or obscurely lobed;

pedicel 15–25 mm, elongating in fruit.

campanulate, 5–9 mm;

tepals erect, white with green or reddish midribs or rarely pink, oblong to lanceolate, ± equal, becoming papery in fruit, margins obscurely to distinctly denticulate-serrulate, apex obtuse to acuminate;

stamens included;

anthers purple or mottled purple and white;

pollen white or gray;

ovary crested;

processes 3, low, rounded, margins entire;

style linear, equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed;

pedicel 2–5 mm.

coat shining;

cells each with minute, central papilla.

coat dull or shining;

cells smooth.

= 28.

= 14.