Herbs perennial, rhizomatous. Rhizome vertical, very short. Roots numerous, thickened, fleshy. Leaves several, all basal, tufted or arranged in a lax rosette, narrowly linear to linear-oblanceolate. Scape simple or few branched, longer than leaves, proximally with a few sterile bracts, terminating in a lax raceme. Bracts ovate to linear-lanceolate, usually shorter than flowers, membranous or ± so, veined. Flowers bisexual, usually paired, shortly pedicellate; pedicel articulate or not. Tepals 6, spreading or ± so, free, linear, 3--20-veined; outer ones slightly narrower or sometimes shorter than inner ones. Stamens 6, slightly shorter than tepals; filaments filiform; anthers dorsifixed at base, linear, base with 2 prominent, caudate appendages 1--3 mm. Ovary 3-loculed. Style filiform, long; stigma very small. Fruit a capsule, obovoid or ellipsoid, 3-angled, loculicidal. Seeds black, orbicular, flattened, base cordate.
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