70. Milla Cavanilles, Icon. 2: 76, plate 196. 1793.
Mexican star
Dale W. McNeal Jr.
Herbs, perennial, scapose, from corms. Corm solitary, coated with membrane. Leaves 2–7, basal; blade linear, channeled to terete; veins sometimes scabrous, particularly proximally. Scapes 1 or rarely 2, persistent, terete, sometimes scabrous, particularly proximally. Inflorescences falsely umbellate, 1–30-flowered, subtended by 4 narrowly triangular bracts that do not enclose flowers in bud. Flowers sessile but appearing pedicellate, 4–15 cm; perianth salverform; tepals 6, connate basally into long, slender tube; perianth lobes white with green, pink, or blue abaxial stripes, shorter than tube; stamens 6, inserted on perianth tube, distinct; ovary superior, 3-locular, long-stipitate, stipe adnate to perianth tube on 3 angles; style usually exserted; stigma obscurely 3-lobed; pseudopedicel formed by elongate perianth tube ± enlarged around ovary. Fruits capsular, beaked by persistent style base, dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds numerous, black, flattened, minutely cellularly reticulate.
Species 6–7 (1 in the flora): sw United States, Mexico, Central America (Guatemala).
SELECTED REFERENCE
Moore, H. E. Jr. 1953. The genus Milla (Amaryllidaceae–Allieae) and its allies. Gentes Herb. 8: 262–294.
