Syringodea

Deciduous perennials. Rootstock an asymmetric, turbinate or compressed corm, with a circular to crescent-shaped basal ridge from which roots emerge, basal in origin, tunics woody to papery. Stem short, subterranean, often branched, sometimes sheathed below by a fibrous neck. Leaves few to several, lower 2 or 3 cataphylls; foliage leaves bifacial, without a definite midrib, few to 1, blade linear, sometimes lanceolate, channelled to flat, sometimes terete. Inflorescence composed of solitary flowers terminal on short peduncles; bracts largely membranous, green above ground with membranous margins, margins united below, inner two-keeled, the keels green above the ground, usually notched apically. Flowers actinomorphic, hypocrateriform, shades of purple to pink, rarely white; perianth tube cylindric, elongate. Tepals equal or subequal, spreading. Stamens: filaments arising at mouth of tube; anthers erect or ascending; pollen inaperturate, exine perforate. Ovary subterranean. Style filiform, branches short, undivided, or apices shortly lacerate. Capsules usually clavate to turbinate with a narrow sterile tubular base, hygrochastic and 6-valved, rarely ellipsoid, xerochastic and 3-valved. Seeds globose to weakly angled, flattened at chalazal end, rugulose, matte, surface laevigate. x = 6 (11).