| Synopsis: |
Acaulescent or short-stemmed biennial or perennial geophytes. Stem usually swollen toform a bulb or tuberous rhizome, rarely a corm, covered with the dry remains ofsheathing leaf-bases. Leaves linear, filiform, lanceolate or rarely ovate, flat, terete orcylindrical and hollow, bases sheathing, veins parallel. Scape leafless, terete, flat orcylindrical and hollow. Inflorescence an umbel, subtended by (1OCo)2 (-several)membranous spathaceous-bracts; bracts enveloping young flower buds; pedicelssometimes further subtended by smaller membranous bracts. Flowers hermaphrodite, actinomorphic. Perianth tubular with 6 free lobes; corona present or absent. Stamensusually in 2 series of 3; anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, trilocular, with 2 septal nectaries, 2-several ovules per locule; style solitary, erect, at apex of ovaryor gynobasic; stigma capitate or trilobate. Fruit a loculicidal capsule with few-manyseeds. Seeds small, ovoid, ellipsoid to subglobose or flat." |