Alternative names: Not Applicable

Description:
Perennial usually bulbous herbs; leaves radical, more or less linear.

Inflorescence an umbel, sometimes reduced to a single flower, with 2 or more spathes; flowers regular or irregular, bisexual; perianth coloured, with 6 free or united segments arranged in 2 rows, sometimes bearing a corona; stamens 6, inserted on or at the base of the perianth; anthers 2-celled, opening inwards; ovary inferior 1- or 3-celled, with usually numerous anatropous ovules in each cell arranged on the axile placentas; style capitate or 3-lobed.

Fruit a berry or capsule.

Distribution:  At least 80 genera with 1,000 species, but considerably more if the broad view of the family is taken and several other families combined in the Amaryllidaceae.

Biology: No text

Key to Genera:

1. Corona absent
2. Umbel 1-flowered	STERNBERGIA 6.
2. Umbel 3-7-flowered
3. Flowers regular, to 3 cm long	LEUCOJUM 4.
3. Flowers slightly irregular, 5-12 cm long
4. Leaves absent at flowering	AMARYLLIS 1.
4. Leaves present at flowering	CRINUM 3.
1. Corona present
5. Corona formed from expanded filaments	CALOSTEMMA 2.
5. Corona separate from the filaments	NARCISSUS 5.

Author: Prepared by J. P. Jessop