Herbs perennial, with short rhizomes. Roots fleshy or ropelike, usually with globose, fusiform, or oblong, swollen, tuberous part. Leaves basal, distichous, sessile, basally equitant, linear. Scape erect or ascending, sometimes hollow, glabrous; main axis usually distinct, sometimes few or several branched and indistinct; sterile bracts sometimes present. Inflorescences terminating in single or double helicoidal cymes; cymes 1--6(or more)-flowered, rarely capitate and 1--6-flowered. Pedicel short, bracteate, basal pedicel sometimes concaulescent. Flowers fairly large, hypogynous, of short duration. Perianth funnelform, 3-merous; segments 6, petaloid, basally connate into a cylindric tube, often recurved apically, pale lemon yellow to orange or reddish orange, sometimes with a purple or rose, V-shaped patch, all segments similar or inner ones slightly wider than outer. Stamens 6, inserted in perianth tube; filaments free, slightly upcurved-reflexed, slender, glabrous; anthers dorsifixed, yellow or purplish black. Ovary 3-loculed. Style erect, rather long, slender; stigma capitate, small. Fruit a capsule, obtusely trigonous, transversely rugose, loculicidal. Seeds in 2 rows in each valve, black.

In China many species are cultivated as ornamentals and a few for their edible flowers.

About 15 species: E Asia, with Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus extending to C Europe; eleven species (four endemic) in China.

(Authors: Chen Xinqi (陈心启 Chen Sing-chi); Junko Noguchi1)