Sep 2; pet 8, or to 16; ovary narrowed above to a short style terminated by a capitate, 2-lobed stigma; placentas 2; capsule fusiform, crowned by the persistent style, dehiscent from the base upwards by elongate valves; seeds arillate; perennial herb with red juice, from a stout rhizome that sends up a single, lobed lf and a large, white fl on a scape. Monospecific.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
