Flora of North America species comparison

1–3, borne on stout, ± horizontal rhizome, elongate, cylindric or conic, 0.5–1.5 × 0.7–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, brown, reticulate, cells ± fine-meshed, open, fibrous;

inner coats white, cells closely parallel, elongate.

1–5+, not clustered on stout primary rhizome, rhizomes absent, renewal bulbs formed within coats of parent bulb, ovoid to ± globose, 1–2 × 0.7–2 cm;

outer coats enclosing 1 or more bulbs, gray to grayish brown, membranous, lacking cellular reticulation or cells arranged in only 2–3 rows distal to roots, ± quadrate, without fibers;

inner coats white or pinkish, cells obscure, ± quadrate.

withering from tip by anthesis, 2–5, sheathing scape to ± soil level;

blade solid, flat, carinate abaxially, 20–40 cm × 2–6 mm, margins entire.

usually deciduous with scape, withering from tip at anthesis, 2, basally sheathing, sheaths not extending much above soil surface;

blade solid, flat, ± falcate, 8–15 cm × 2–8 mm, margins entire.

persistent, solitary, erect, terete, 30–50 cm × 1–3 mm.

usually forming abcission layer and deciduous with leaves after seeds mature, frequently breaking at this level after pressing, solitary, erect, solid, flattened, frequently ± winged distally, or, in smaller specimens, ± terete, 3–12 cm × 0.5–2 mm.

persistent, erect, loose, 20–50-flowered, hemispheric-globose, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 1–3, 3–7-veined, lance-ovate, shorter than pedicel, apex acuminate.

persistent, erect, compact, 5–30-flowered, hemispheric to conic, bulbils unknown;

spathe bracts persistent, 2, 12–14-veined, ovate, ± equal, apex acute to acuminate.

substellate, 4–9 mm;

tepals spreading, white with green or brownish midveins, lanceolate to elliptic, ± equal, withering and exposing capsule, margins entire, apex obtuse or acute;

stamens included;

anthers purple;

pollen white;

ovary crestless;

style linear, ± equaling stamens;

stigma capitate, unlobed;

pedicel 10–30 mm.

narrowly campanulate, 6–9 mm;

tepals erect, ± spreading toward tips, white or tinged with pink, with broad, dark, reddish purple or brown midvein, oblong to elliptic, unequal, outer longer, wider than inner, becoming papery and investing capsule, not carinate in fruit, margins entire, apex obtuse to ± acute;

stamens included;

anthers purple or yellow;

pollen yellow;

ovary obscurely crested;

processes 3, central, low, rounded, margins entire;

style linear, ± equaling tepals;

stigma capitate, scarcely thickened, unlobed or obscurely 3-lobed;

pedicel 3–12 mm.

coat shining;

cells smooth, irregularly shaped, with ± sinuous walls.

coat dull;

cells smooth.

= 14.