Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Herbs.

Stems:

Roots: Roots fibrous, transversely septate.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Leaves basal. Blades linear or linear–lanceolate. Base sessile and clasping at base. Blades membranous or thin and pellucid, often fenestrate (with transparent areas). Sessile, clasping. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in heads, terminal, globose, peduncles 1 to several, usually glabrous and striate, clothed at base with a bladeless sheath. Flowers unisexual; Staminate flowers with sepals distinct at base and connate into a split spathe in upper part, petals 2–3, connate into a tube, distinct at apex, the lobes usually with a small dark nectary gland on inner surface near apex, stamens (3)4 or 6, exserted, anthers usually black, dithecal; pistillate flowers with distinct or rarely connate and spathaceous sepals, petals 2–3, distinct, each usually with a nectary gland like that of staminate flowers, or rarely petals absent, style without appendages, stigmas 2–3. Calyx of 2-3 sepals. Male flowers with sepals usually connate into an abaxially split tube, rarely free; Female flowers with sepals free, basally connate, or connate into an adaxial spathe, flat, boatlike, or crested, equal or unequal. Petals of male flowers basally connate and funnelform, large, margin usually ciliate, apex distinctly or indistinctly 2- or 3-lobed, usually bearing a gland. Female flowers: petals absent to 3, linear, oblanceolate, or spatulate, margin ciliate, apex often bearing a large gland. Stamens in 2 whorls, adnate to petals; anthers black or rarely yellowish. Ovary superior, carpels pendulous; ovules 1 per cell, orthotropous style terminal, lobed.

Fruit: Capsules loculicidal.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

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