Perennial sward-forming herbs with rhizomes. Roots fibrous. Leaves cauline, distichous, linear, with membranous open sheath broader than lamina. Flowers solitary, terminal, bisexual, actinomorphic. Perianth open, persisting around developing fruit; segments 6, free, subequal; sepals 5-nerved; petals 3-nerved. Stamens 6; filaments puberulous; anthers linear, basifixed, dehiscing by slits, introrse. Ovary superior, sessile, trilocular; ovules numerous; placentation axile; style cylindrical, narrowing to small stigma. Fruit a capsule, somewhat trigonous, loculicidal to c. halfway. Seeds smooth, glossy black, with long narrow hilum scar.
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