Herbs, perennial, rhizomatous, 1.5–8 dm; rhizomes bearing thin, fibrous roots. Leaves: basal 2–6, arising from rhizome crown, sessile, sheathing, hyaline, chaffy in age; cauline petiolate, blade with central vein prominent basally, obovate to oblanceolate, weakly villous-pubescent, base attenuate to cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to abruptly short-acuminate, often mucronate. Inflorescences terminal, in short racemes or umbellike clusters, 1–45-flowered, bracteate; bracts foliaceous or linear. Flowers: tepals caducous, 6, distinct, obovate to narrowly oblanceolate, nectaries present, sometimes obscure; stamens inserted at perianth base; filaments dilated, basally pubescent; anthers oblong-obovate to oblong-linear, semiversatile, extrorse; ovary superior, 2-locular [3-locular], ovoid to subcylindrical, glabrous, ovules 2–10 per locule; style columnar, compressed laterally; stigmas weakly 2-lobed [3-lobed]; pedicels unequal, elongate and ascending with age. Fruits baccate, metallic blue to black, 4–30-seeded, ellipsoid to ovoid, smooth. Seeds shiny brown, round abaxially, angled with 2 or 3 faces. x = 7.
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Herbs perennial, with a short rhizome. Leaves several, basal, entire. Scape erect, often leafless. Inflorescence terminal, umbellate or racemose, rarely 1-flowered; rachis and pedicels usually elongate in fruit. Flowers small. Tepals 6, free, ascending to spreading, subequal. Stamens 6, inserted at base of tepals; filaments filiform; anthers pseudobasifixed, ellipsoid, semiextrorse. Ovary ovoid-globose, (2 or)3-loculed; ovules several to many per locule. Style columnar; stigma obscurely 3-lobed. Fruit a berry. Seeds 2 or more; testa usually brownish.
Fls perfect; tep 6, distinct, narrow; stamens 6, inserted at the base of the perianth; filaments slender; anthers oblong, laterally dehiscent; ovary superior, 2–3-locular, with 2 or more ovules per locule; style long and slender; stigma obscurely lobed; fr a berry with few–several seeds; rhizomatous herbs with 2–5 ample basal lvs, the bases of which sheathe a lfless erect scape bearing a determinate umbel of showy fls. 6, N. Amer. and e. Asia.
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