Herbs perennial, rarely shrubby or treelike, often with bulbs, corms, rhizomes, or tubers. Leaves basal or cauline, often narrow, margin entire or spiny. Inflorescence a terminal spike, umbel, raceme, panicle, or flowers solitary. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, usually subtended by 1 to several spathaceous involucres. Perianth segments 6, in 2 whorls, free or connate to form a short tube, with or without a corona. Stamens 6, inserted at perianth throat or at base of segments; filaments sometimes basally connate; anther dorsifixed or basifixed, mostly introrse. Ovary inferior, 3-loculed; ovules few to many per locule; placentation axile. Style slender; stigma capitate or 3-lobed. Fruit a capsule, usually loculicidal, sometimes dehiscing irregularly, rarely a berry. Seeds with endosperm.

Source: [
• 3
]. 

Flowers usually showy, bisexual actinomorphic, solitary to many and umbellate at the top of the scape, subtended by an involucre of two or more (rarely only one) usually membranous bracts

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Perianth inserted below or usually above the ovary, petaloid, often withering and persisting, with or without a tube; segments or lobes 6, in 2 series, all equal and similar or the inner smaller or larger than the outer; corona often present

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Herbs with a tunicated bulbous rootstock or rarely a rhizome

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Leaves few from the base of the stem or apex of the bulb, more or less linear, with parallel nerves and transverse secondary nerves

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Ovules mostly numerous in each loculus

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Stamens 6, opposite the segments, hypogynous or inserted on the tube or towards the base of the segments; filaments free or expanded at the base and connate and forming a "false" corona; anthers 2-locular, introrse, basifixed or versatile, opening by slits lengthwise

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Ovary superior or inferior, 3-locular, with usually axile placentas; style slender, with a capitate or 3-lobed stigma

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Seeds with fleshy endosperm and small embryo, sometimes winged

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Fruit a capsule or a berry

Source: [
• 1
]. 

Herbs with bulbs or rhizomes

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Leaves in a basal rosette from the apex of the bulb or rhizome; petioles, if present, sometimes sheathing to form a false stem; blade simple, entire, linear to lanceolate or strap-shaped

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Scape leafless, central or lateral in relation to the leaves, with 1–many flowers in an umbel-like inflorescence, subtended by an involucre of 1–many bracts and with ephemeral hyaline bracts between the flowers

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Flowers showy, bisexual, 3-merous, regular or less often slightly irregular

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Tepals in 2 series, equal to subequal, inserted above the ovary, free or partly united into a short or long tube; corona sometimes present

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Stamens 3 + 3, opposite the perianth-segments, inserted at their base or in the tube; filaments free, partly fused with the perianth or united into a cup (false corona) at the base; anthers basifixed (not in East Africa) or dorsifixed, often versatile, introrse, opening lengthwise by slits

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Ovary 3-locular, each locule with (1–2–) many axile ovules; style long and slender, with capitate or 3-lobed stigma

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Fruit a capsule, often loculicidal, or a berry

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Seeds globose or flattened, sometimes winged, with fleshy endosperm and small embryo

Source: [
• 2
]. 

Herbes'vivaces à bulbe, parfois à pseudo-bulbe.'Feuilles'toutes basilaires ou subbasilaires, linéaires à elliptiques, parfois atténuées en pétiole à la base, aplaties, généralement glabres.'Inflorescence'terminale ou latérale, en ombelle, parfois réduite à une seule fleur; spathes 1-∞, entourant l'inflorescence à l'état jeune, persistantes ou caduques.'Fleurs'☿, actinomorphes à zygomorphes; tépales 6, subégaux à inégaux, libres ou le plus souvent soudés à la base, souvent persistants; couronne extrastaminale parfois présente; étamines 6, en 2 verticilles de 3, rarement 6 faisceaux d'étamines; filets libres et parfois appendiculés ou parfois réunis en une couronne entière ou dentée, parfois insérés sur le tube du périgone; anthères basifixes ou dorsifixes, souvent versatiles, à déhiscence généralement longitudinale, rarement poricide; ovaire infère, 3-loculaire; ovules 1-∞ par loge; style 1, généralement allongé; stigmates 3, minuscules ou allongés.'Capsules'généralement loculicides ou fruits indéhiscents, parfois charnus.'Graines anguleuses, aplaties ou globuleuses, parfois charnues.\n\t\t\tFamille cosmopolite, comptant environ 60 genres et 800 espèces. Pour la Flore : 8 genres et 16 espèces dont 2 introduites.

Source: [
• 4
].