Lachenalia

 Herbs. Perennial, deciduous, winter or summer-growing geophytes. Bulb globose, subglobose or ovoid, subterranean; tunic multilayered; roots fibrous or contractile. Cataphylls 2 (–3), membranous, tubular. Leaves basal, alternate, spiral, sessile, entire, flat, subterete or terete, linear lanceolate, ovate to orbicular, often spotted, suberect or erect, fleshy or coriaceous, usually spotted  on adaxial surface; leaf bases clasping to loose. Inflorescence a scapose, simple, bracteate raceme or spike. Flowers bisexual, erect or pendulous, the uppermost vestigial. Perianth weakly to strongly zygomorphic, rarely actinomorphic, tubular, campanulate or urceolate, persistent; tepals basally connate, inner equal to or longer than outer. Stamens 6, adnate to perianth, included or exserted; filaments filiform; anthers versatile, basifixed or dorsifixed, dehiscing longitudinally by slits, introrse. Ovary superior, 3-locular; ovules few to numerous per locule; placentation axile; style long or short; stigma slightly capitate. Fruit a loculicidal capsule. Seeds few to numerous, globose, ovoid to oblong, black, smooth, rugose, reticulate or colliculate, strongly adhering, arillate.