Plants usually bulbose; bulb coat, when present, membranous. Stems not branching, straight, 2.4–5.5 dm. Leaves: basal withering, 18–35 cm; blade linear. Inflorescences subumbellate, 1–3-flowered. Flowers erect; perianth open, campanulate; sepals marked similar to petals, lanceolate, usually much shorter, glabrous, apex acute; petals white to purple, greenish adaxially, clawed, often with narrow, transverse purple band distal to gland and purple blotch on claw, obovate, cuneate, usually obtuse and rounded distally; glands transversely oblong, not depressed, densely bearded with distally branching hairs, outermost of which somewhat connate at base to form discontinuous, deeply fringed membranes; filaments shorter than anthers; anthers lanceolate, apex acute to apiculate. Capsules erect, linear-oblong, 3-angled, 3–6 cm, apex acute. Seeds flat, inflated. 2n = 18.

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora): wc North America.