Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Caulescent or acaulescent, rhizomatous perennial herbs.

Stems: Branched or unbranched leafy shoots.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, distichous, basal, basal and cauline, or only cauline, blades occasionally unequal–sided. Margins entire. Closely parallel S-shaped lateral veins. Petioles terete (cylindrical) or occasionally absent, pulvinus often conspicuously different in size and color from rest of petiole, sheath open. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers usually in pairs and in the axils of bracts on ± leafy shoots, forming compound, head-like, spicate, or diffuse inflorescences. Flowers bisexual (perfect), zygomorphic. Calyx of 3 sepals; sepals distinct. Corolla irregularly 3-lobed, basally tubular and adnate to the staminodes and style. Stamens in 2 whorls, outer whorl of 1–2 petaloid staminodes (rarely absent), inner whorl of 1 fertile stamen and 2 specialized staminodes, one fleshy and the other hooded and enclosing the upper portion of the style and stigma; anther monothecal. Ovary inferior, 3-celled, 2 of the cells often sterile, placentation axile; ovules 1 per cell.

Fruit: Loculicidal capsules; fleshy or berry-like; or an achene. Seeds often arillate.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Forest understory.

Elevation Range: