Herbs, perennial, not viviparous, 7-10 dm, glabrous. Stems above ground (caudex) or underground (corm), usually erect, simple or 2-branched at apex, rarely with lateral vegetative branches, often fleshy; floral stems annual, from rosette leaf axil, simple or branched, overtopping rosette, with scattered smaller leaves. Leaves persistent or withering in early summer, drying persistent and often covering caudex for years, densely crowded in basal or terminal rosette, alternate, subclasping basally, petiolate or sessile; blade linear to orbiculate, nearly laminar to terete or subglobose, 0.2-30 cm, fleshy, base not spurred, margins entire, not ciliate; veins entering margins. Inflorescences lateral cymes, 2+-cincinnate. Pedicels present. Flowers (usually odorless), erect to pendent, 5-merous; sepals connate basally, all alike, shorter than petals; petals erect and forming cylindric to 5-gonal tube or spreading from near middle, connate basally or to middle, white, yellow, orange, or red; nectary disc truncate, wider than tall; stamens 10; filaments adnate to corolla base; pistils erect or ascending to spreading, nearly distinct; ovary base rounded; styles shorter than ovary. Fruits erect to spreading. Seeds narrowly ovoid, longitudinally ribbed, finely cross-ribbed. x = 17.
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