Herbs, perennial, scapose, from fibrous-coated corms. Leaves 1–8, basal; blade linear-lanceolate, keeled, margins entire. Scape slender, cylindrical, rigid. Inflorescences umbellate, open, 10–35-flowered, bracteate; bracts 2–4, scarious, membranous, not enclosing flower buds. Flowers: tepals 6, persistent, widely spreading, distinct or barely connate at base, golden yellow, striped brownish or green, nearly equal, oblong-linear, subrotate at anthesis; stamens 6, epitepalous, slightly shorter than and inserted at base of tepals; filaments filiform distally, dilated basally, ca. 6 mm, dilated bases sometimes connate into nectariferous cup, cup sometimes having basal filament appendages arising from apex; anthers subbasifixed, versatile; pistil 3-carpellate; ovary superior, sessile, 3-locular, ovules anatropous, several per locule; style persistent, splitting with capsule, filiform or clavate, 5 mm; stigma 3-lobed; pedicel long, erect, ray-like, base and apex articulate. Fruits sessile, capsular, 3-angled, subglobose, 5–6 mm, dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds black, angular, subovoid, wrinkled, coat with crust. x = 9 (except for B. clevelandii x = 14).
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