HYCINTHACEAE

 

Bulbaceous herbs with a basal aggregation of leaves, Leaves alternate;  sessile;  with free margins. Leaves simple.  Flowers in racemes, in spikes, and in heads. Inflorescences scapiflorous; terminal; usually simple or branched racemes or spikes, rarely heads; Flowers bracteate; small, or medium-sized; regular; 3 merous; cyclic; pentacyclic. Perianth of ‘tepals’; 6; free, or joined; 2 whorled; petaloid; similar in the two whorls, or different in the two whorls (but usually of the same texture);   stamens 6 (usually), or 3 (rarely) anthers dorsifixed; dehiscing via longitudinal slits; Pollen grains aperturate; 1 aperturate; gynoecium 3 carpelled. Carpels isomerous with the perianth. The pistil 3 celled.. Ovary 3 locular. Placentation axile. Ovules 2–50 per locule, fruit non-fleshy; dehiscent; a capsule. Capsules loculicidal. Seeds endospermic. Endosperm oily.