LILIACEAE

LILY FAMILY

Dale W. McNeal, except as specified

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.

TRITELEIA

Glenn Keator

Perennial from spheric, tan, fibrous-coated corm; cormlets sessile
Leaves basal, 2–3, narrowly lanceolate, keeled, glabrous, entire, often withered at flower
Inflorescence umbel-like, open; axis 2–100 cm, stiff, erect, cylindric; bracts ± lanceolate, ± scarious; pedicels ± erect, generally > perianth; flowers generally many
Flower: perianth tube generally funnel-shaped, lobes 6 in 2 petal-like whorls, generally ascending to spreading; stamens 6, filaments appendages generally 0, anthers attached at middle, generally angled away from stigma; style 1, stigma weakly 3-lobed
Fruit: capsule, generally stalked, ovoid, loculicidal
Seeds subspheric, black
Species in genus: 14 species: w North America, especially n&c CA
Etymology: (Greek: three complete, because all flower parts in 3's)
Reference: [Hoover 1941 Amer Midl Naturalist 25:73–100]

Native

T. laxa Benth.

ITHURIEL'S SPEAR

Leaf 20–40 cm, 4–25 mm wide
Inflorescence 10–70 cm, smooth or scabrous; pedicels 20–90 mm
Flower: perianth blue, blue-purple, or white, tube 12–25 mm, lobes 8–20 mm; filaments attached at 2 levels, 3–6 mm, ± equal, linear, anthers 2–5 mm, generally white to bluish; ovary stalk 2–3 X ovary
Chromosomes: n=7,8,14,16,21,24
Ecology: Common. Open forest, woodland, grassland on clay soil
Elevation: 0–1500 m.
Bioregional distribution: Northwestern California, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Western California, Transverse Ranges
Distribution outside California: sw Oregon
Highly variable; more study needed
Synonyms: Brodiaea l. (Benth.) S. Watson
Horticultural information: DRN, SUN, DRY in summer: 5, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24.