Greek spilos – a spot, xenos – strange, referring to the dark central areas of the flowers of some species.
Perennial, rhizomatous, cormous herbs. Corms annual, the previous year's corms remaining below as disks. Leaves basal, linear, smooth. Flowers radially symmetrical, stalked, individual flower stalks not articulated. Inflorescence a 1-7 flowered umbel.Tepals 3+3, several-nerved, free, often with a darker centre. Stamens 3+3, free. Ovary inferior, ovoid-elongate. Fruit a capsule. Seeds dark brown or black.
Grown for the starry flowers.
About 30 species from S Africa.
Rhizomatous plants with smooth or sparsely unbranched-hairy aerial parts and inferior ovaries.
Source: (2005). Hypoxidaceae. 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.