Herbs, perennial. Taproots absent, rhizomes usually with spherical or elongate, tuberous thickenings or vertical fleshy roots, rooting at nodes. Stems ascending to erect, simple or branched, terete or 4-angled. Leaves connate proximally into sheath, sessile; blade 1-veined, linear to lanceolate or elliptic, not succulent, apex acute. Inflorescences terminal, open cymes, or flowers solitary; bracts paired, smaller, herbaceous or scarious. Pedicels recurved to reflexed from base or abruptly bent downward near distal end in fruit. Flowers: perianth and androecium hypogynous; sepals 5, distinct, green, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 3-7 mm, herbaceous, margins white, scarious, apex obtuse or acute to acuminate, not hooded; petals 5 [absent in cleistogamous flowers], white, not clawed, blade apex 2-fid to V-shaped notch 10-1/ 5 of length; nectaries adnate to base of filaments opposite sepals, circular, thickened, 2-2 1/2 times filament width; stamens 5 or 10, arising from base of ovary; filaments distinct; styles 3, capitate to clavate, 2-4.5 mm, glabrous proximally; stigmas 3, terminal or linear along adaxial surface of styles, minutely papillate (30×). Capsules ovoid, opening by 6, ± 2-3 times recoiled valves; carpophore absent. Seeds 1-3, red-brown or brown, circular to oblong or elliptic, plump or laterally compressed, tuberculate, marginal wing absent, appendage absent. x = 8.
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Herbs perennial. Root tubers fusiform, ovoid or subglobose. Stems erect or ascending, sometimes repent. Leaves ovate, ovate-lanceolate, or linear-lanceolate; stipules absent. Flowers of two types. Chasmogamic flowers larger, solitary in distal leaf axils or in terminal cymes, bracts immediately subtending calyx absent, pedicel longer, usually without fruit; sepals (4 or)5; petals (4 or)5, white, entire or emarginate; stamens (8 or)10; ovary globose or ovoid, 1-loculed, ovules numerous; styles (2 or)3; stigma capitate. Cleistogamic flowers smaller, on stem in proximal leaf axils, shortly pedicellate or subsessile; sepals 4(or 5); petals very small, membranous, or absent; stamens reduced, rarely 2; ovary globose or ovoid, 1-loculed, ovules numerous; styles 2 or 3. Capsule (2 or) 3(or 4)-valved. Seeds few, large, somewhat flattened, tuberculate or smooth; embryo curved.
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