Herbs perennial, bulbiferous. Bulbs with a membranous tunic. Leaves basal, linear or terete. Flowering stem solid. Inflorescence a several-flowered umbel or sometimes a solitary flower; involucres membranous, basally tubular. Flowers erect or pendulous. Perianth tube cylindric or funnelform, short; lobes 6, erect or recurved, subequal; corona narrowly tubular, corollalike or shallowly cupular. Stamens inserted in perianth tube; anther basifixed. Ovary with many ovules. Style filiform; stigma 3-lobed, small. Fruit a loculicidal capsule. Seeds subglobose.

Additional species of Narcissus e.g., N. jonquilla Linnaeus and N. pseudonarcissus Linnaeus, are cultivated as garden plants in China but are not described in this account.

About 60 species: mainly in C Europe and the Mediterranean region; one species in China.