Plants relatively small, with a tunicated, bulb-like corm; stem erect; lowermost leaf a membranous, sheathing, tubular cataphyll, not protracted into a leaf-blade, followed by a solitary basal leaf and 1–3 cauline leaves, which are basally sheathing the stem. Leaves linear or linear-filiform, semi-terete, somewhat flattened with a concave or channeled adaxial side, or flattened. Inflorescence a spike, 1-many flowered. Flowers stellate to campanulate. Perianth segments basally united in a tube, spreading; nectary a variously shaped, swollen organ in the lower half of the perianth segments. Ovary ellipsoid, oblong to ovoid, sometimes triangular. Capsule oblong, elliptic-oblong, ovoid or obovoid, septicidal, coriaceous; seeds subglobose, occasionally compressed or slightly angular, with an appendage or minute beak on one side. Worldwide: 40 species in Africa (mainly the Cape) and Australia.
Zambia: 1 taxon. |
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