Greek calos – beautiful, chortos – grass, referring to the beautiful flowers with grass-like leaves.
Perennial herbs from a tunicate bulb. Leaves basal or cauline, linear, not sheathing. Flowers radially symmetrical, bell-shaped, stalked. Inflorescence a 1- to many-flowered umbel or cyme. Tepals 3+3, free, inner 3 broader, basally clawed and with a prominent basal gland or spot. Stamens 6, free; anthers not versatile. Ovary superior, ovoid. Fruit a 3-angled or 3-winged capsule. Seeds brown, flattened or irregular.
Grown in full sun on very well-drained rich soil for the spectacular and unusual ornamental flowers.
About 65 species from western N America.
Broad and basally clawed inner 3 tepals, each with a conspicuous basal gland or spot.
Ownbey (1940), Elliott (1981), Lassanyi & amp; Smith (1993), McDonald (1997, 2000-1).
Source: (2005). Liliaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.