The World Flora Online

Herbes vivaces, à corme tuniqué ou rhizomateux ou bien à rhizome; tiges simples ou ramifiées, dressées ou grimpantes, parfois absentes. Feuilles basilaires ou caulinaires, alternes ou plus rarement opposées ou verticillées, sessiles à courtement pétiolées, simples, base souvent engaînante, marge entière; nervation parallèle. Inflorescences terminales ou axillaires, en racèmes parfois ombelliformes ou en épis, parfois uniflores; bractées présentes ou absentes. Fleurs hermaphrodites, actinomorphes, sessiles ou pédicellées; périgone à 6 tépales libres ou soudés, parfois à nectaires basilaires; étamines 6, à filet libre ou inséré à la base des tépales, anthères basi- ou dorsifixes, versatiles, généralement à déhiscence extrorse par fentes longitudinales; gynécée supère, à 3 carpelles partiellement ou entièrement soudés, 3-loculaire, à placentation axillaire et à nombreux ovules; styles 1-3, à 3 stigmates. Fruits capsulaires, septi- ou loculicides, coriaces ou charnus. Graines nombreuses et ± globuleuses, parfois avec un arille charnu; embryon droit, linéaire.

Leaves basal or cauline, alternate, sometimes opposite and clustered, simple, entire, sessile, often basally sheathing the stem, the leaf apex sometimes ending in a tendril Stem erect or scandent, simple or branched, sometimes almost absent Perrenial herbs, with a tunicated bulb-like or stoloniferous corm Stamens 6; filaments free or inserted at the base of the perianth segments, filiform, sometimes thickened; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed, versatile, usually dehiscing extrorsely by longitudinal slits, sometimes latrorsely to introrsely Perianth segments 6, equal, free or basally connate into a tube, sometimes with a basal nectary Flowers hypogynous, bisexual, regular, sessile or pedicillate Inflorescence an umbel, raceme, or spike, or flowers solitary, with or without bracts Fruit a capsule, septicidal or loculicidal, 3-valved, coriaceous or fleshy; seeds many, (sub)globose, sometimes with a distinct raphe, sometimes red and fleshy Ovary superior, sessile, syncarpous, 3-locular, ovules many, placentation axile; style 1, 3-branched towards the apex, erect or bent at a right angle from the ovary, or styles 3, free, erect or recurved; stigmas 3 Stem erect or scandent, simple or branched, sometimes almost absent Perrenial herbs, with a tunicated bulb-like or stoloniferous corm Stamens 6; filaments free or inserted at the base of the perianth segments, filiform, sometimes thickened; anthers basifixed or dorsifixed, versatile, usually dehiscing extrorsely by longitudinal slits, sometimes latrorsely to introrsely Perianth segments 6, equal, free or basally connate into a tube, sometimes with a basal nectary Flowers hypogynous, bisexual, regular, sessile or pedicillate Inflorescence an umbel, raceme, or spike, or flowers solitary, with or without bracts Fruit a capsule, septicidal or loculicidal, 3-valved, coriaceous or fleshy; seeds many, (sub)globose, sometimes with a distinct raphe, sometimes red and fleshy Ovary superior, sessile, syncarpous, 3-locular, ovules many, placentation axile; style 1, 3-branched towards the apex, erect or bent at a right angle from the ovary, or styles 3, free, erect or recurved; stigmas 3