| 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 ± spheric
Stem scapose, cylindric
Leaves 2–7, basal, linear
Inflorescence spike-like, unbracted; terminal flowers often sterile and modified
Flower: fertile flowers 2–12 mm, spheric to bell-shaped; perianth segments 6, petal-like, fused below, blue, purple, brownish, or yellow, lobes minute, often different color from tube; stamens attached to perianth, included; ovary superior, chambers 3, style 1, stigma head-like
Fruit: capsule, sharply angled or winged, loculicidal
Seeds 6, angled, black
Species in genus: 50 species: Eur, Medit, w Asia
Etymology: (Latin: from musky odor of some species)
| Introduced |
Stem: scape 5–30 cm
Leaves 2–3(4), 10–25 cm, linear, ± channeled, abruptly narrower at tip
Inflorescence dense, elongating in fruit; pedicels 2–4 mm
Flowers: fertile flowers nodding, 3–5 mm, spheric; perianth narrowed below lobes, blue, lobes white; upper sterile flowers few, smaller, paler
Fruit 4–6 mm, spheric
Chromosomes: 2n=18, 36,48,63
Ecology: Disturbed urban areas
Elevation: generally < 200 m.
Bioregional distribution: Central Coast (expected elsewhere)
Distribution outside California: native to s Europe