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Perennial stemless herbs. Rhizome horizontal, often very short. Roots fibrous, or fleshy or tuberous. Leaves basal, usually rosulate, linear to lanceolate, often with a fimbriate margin, expanding towards the base to form a sheath. Inflorescence a raceme or a panicle. Pedicels 1-6-nate, in the axils of bracts and associated with a few small bracts also apparently in the axil of the principal bract, articulated usually near or below the middle. Perianth segments free, subequal, with 3 or 5 veins, most frequently spreading or reflexed. Filaments filiform, glabrous or papillate, attached to the receptacle; anthers basifixed, linear-oblong, introrse. Ovary superior, sessile or shortly stipitate, globose or obovoid, 3-lobed, 3-celled; ovules axile, 2 or more in each locule; style filiform, simple, minutely capitate. Capsule dehiscing loculicidally; perianth segments adhering, marcescent, not twisting after flowering. Seeds flat, suborbicular.
Tufted, herbaceous perennials. Roots fibrous, often with tubers, or fleshy. Aerial stems condensed, leafy. Leaves linear, ±hooded-acute; margins smooth. Inflorescence axillary, paniculate; axis simple or few-branched. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, in discrete bracteate clusters; pedicels articulate near middle. Perianth segments 6, free, subequal, 3-5-nerved, persistent, not twisting. Stamens 6; filaments slender, glabrous or minutely papillose; anthers basifixed, introrsely dehiscing by slits, straight to recurving. Ovary superior, globose to elongate but angular, 3-locular; ovules 2 to several per locule; placentation axile; style filiform; stigma capitate, minute. Fruit a 3-lobed loculicidal capsule; lobes laterally compressed, the keel acute. Seeds ±flat; testa brown or black; strophiole absent.
Herbs perennial, rhizomatous. Rhizome often short, inconspicuous, sometimes thick, elongate. Roots usually ± thick or slightly fleshy. Leaves basal, subdistichous or fasciculate, sessile or petiolate, usually linear to elliptic-lanceolate, conduplicate, base sheathing. Scape axillary, proximally with bractlike cauline leaves. Inflorescence a terminal raceme or panicle; bracts small. Flowers bisexual; pedicel articulate. Perianth usually white; tepals 6, free, 3--7-veined, persistent or marcescent. Stamens 6, inserted at base of tepals; filaments filiform, usually slightly widened near middle; anthers nearly basifixed, introrse. Ovary 3-loculed; ovules 1 to several per locule. Style slender; stigma small. Fruit a capsule, acutely 3-angled, loculicidal. Seeds black coated, flattened.
