Herbs, perennial; roots fibrous, rhizomatous. Stems erect, simple, glabrous. Leaves mostly basal, some cauline, alternate, petiolate or sessile; ocrea persistent or disintegrating with age and deciduous entirely or distally, chartaceous; blade linear or lanceolate to elliptic, oblong-ovate, or ovate, margins entire or obscurely and irregularly repand. Inflorescences terminal, spikelike. Pedicels present. Flowers bisexual, 1-2 per ocreate fascicle, base not stipelike; perianth nonaccrescent, white, greenish white, pink, or purplish pink, rarely red, campanulate, glabrous; tepals 5, connate proximally ca. 1/ 5 their length, petaloid, monomorphic or slightly dimorphic, outer larger than inner; stamens 5-8, sometimes poorly developed; filaments distinct or connate basally, outer ones sometimes adnate to perianth tube, glabrous; anthers yellow, pink, red, purple, or blackish, ovate to elliptic; styles 3, erect or spreading, distinct or connate proximally; stigmas 2-3, capitate. Achenes included or exserted, brown to dark brown, unwinged, 3-gonous, glabrous. Seeds: embryo curved. x = 11, 12.
Home