TREATMENT FROM THE JEPSON MANUAL (1993) |
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Jepson Interchange (more information) |
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©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
For up-to-date information about California vascular plants, visit the Jepson eFlora. |
AND IS MAINTAINED FOR ARCHIVAL PURPOSES ONLY |
Perennial to trees, from membranous bulb, fibrous corm, scaly rhizome, or erect caudex
Stem generally underground
Leaves generally basal, often withering early, alternate, generally ± linear
Inflorescence various, generally bracted
Flower generally bisexual, generally radial; perianth often showy, segments generally 6 in two petal-like whorls (outer sometimes sepal-like), free or fused at base; stamens 6 (or 3 + generally 3 ± petal-like staminodes), filaments sometimes attached to perianth or fused into a tube or crown; ovary superior or inferior, chambers 3, placentas generally axile, style generally 1, stigmas generally 3
Fruit: generally capsule, loculicidal or septicidal (berry or nut)
Genera in family: ± 300 genera, 4600 species: especially ± dry temp and subtropical; many cultivated for ornamental or food;some TOXIC . Here includes genera sometimes treated in Agavaceae, Amaryllidaceae, and other families.
Perennial; bulb ovoid to ± elongate, outer coats white to brown, often very fibrous
Leaves basal, linear, reduced to scarious bracts in inflorescence
Inflorescence: panicle; flowers 1several per node
Flower: perianth segments 6 in 2 petal-like whorls, free, white, purple, or pinkish, persistent in fruit and twisted together above capsule; stamens 6, attached to bases of perianth parts, anthers attached at middle; ovary superior, chambers 3, style slender, stigma slightly 3-lobed
Fruit: capsule, stalked, loculicidal
Seeds ovoid, black, 12 per chamber
Species in genus: 5 species: w North America, especially CA
Etymology: (Greek: green milk or juice)
Reference: [Hoover 1940 Madroño 5:137147]
Native |
Bulb 715 cm; coat thick, fibers coarse (except var. minus ), brown
Leaf 2070 cm, 625 mm wide; margins generally wavy
Inflorescence highly branched; pedicels 525(35) mm, slender, ± = perianth
Flower opening in evening, closing by next morning; perianth segments spreading, 1525 mm, linear, white with green or purple midvein, recurved at flower; stamens < perianth, anthers ± 2 mm, purple or yellow, pollen yellow or cream; style 1015 mm, < to > perianth
Fruit 57 mm, spheric to slightly lobed
Ecology: Bluffs, grassland, chaparral, dry open woodland
Elevation: < 1500 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Sierra Nevada Foothills, w Great Central Valley, Central Western California, Southwestern California
Distribution outside California: sw Oregon