Erect, glabrous, tough, perennial herbs; stem-base or rhizome thickened and enclosed in the persistent, sheathing (but open) leaf-bases; roots fibrous, densely covered with hair-roots, looking spongy, often red. Stem (inflorescence) mostly branched, noded, with reduced leaves. Leaves flat (or terete), entire, linear, amplexicaulous; sheaths open. Inflorescence terminal on the (mostly solitary) stem, paniculate, (head-like contracted or spike-like,) nigrescent; branches subtended by stem-clasping, bract-like reduced leaves. Pedicels mostly provided with 2 often scarious bracteoles. Flowers usually fragrant, red, black, or greenish. Perianth persistent, rather erect. Filaments often enclosed by the inrolled margins of the inner tepals and coherent with them at their ultimate base, persistent!; anthers sagittate at the base, versatile. Apex of the ± obconial ovary truncate, often slightly bulging between the stamens. Style filiform. Ovules 2 per cell, laterally attached to a protruding, thickened placenta in the upper part of each cell. Capsule semi-inferior, ± 3-lobed, opening with 3 radial, apical slits. Placenta much thickened in fruit, bearing on each side a large, winged, peltately attached, flattened seed.
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Plants glabrous; rootstock a bulb; all subterranean parts with orange-red pigment. Stem branched or unbranched. Leaves basal and cauline, grading into bracts above, sheathing at base; sheath margins open. Inflorescence bracteate, a panicle, often corymbose, or a simple or branched raceme. Flowers blackish, orange, red, yellow or greenish. Perianth actinomorphic, persistent. Sepals and petals each 3, all free and similar or dissimilar. Stamens 3, inserted on petals; anthers basifixed, versatile or with decurrent connective and not versatile. Ovary inferior except bulging tops of locules; ovules 2 per locule, axile placentation; style filiform; stigma entire or minutely 3-lobed. Capsule 3-lobed. Seeds discoid, with membranous marginal wing.
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