Herbs, perennial, with short, knotty rhizomes; roots contractile. Stems subterranean, simple, vertical, short. Leaves 2-3(-4), petiolate or subsessile, sheathing at base; blade dark green distally, paler proximally, sometimes mottled with purple, elliptic to oblong, apex obtuse. Inflorescences umbellate, with several axillary fascicles of elongate, twisting pedicels. Flowers showy, odor unpleasant; perianth of 2 dissimilar whorls of tepals, outer spreading or recurving, distinct, petaloid, ovate to lanceolate to oblanceolate, with oblong gland basally, inner erect, distinct, linear, converging over pistil; stamens 3, opposite outer tepals; anthers versatile, 2-locular, oblong, extrorse; ovary superior, 1-locular, strongly 3-angled, placentation parietal; style erect, short; stigmas persistent, 3, spreading to recurved, linear, inner surface deeply channelled, ovules 20-40, in 2 rows on each placenta. Fruits capsular, brownish purple, oblong-lanceolate, strongly 3-angled, thin-walled, opening irregularly by decay, beaked by persistent style and stigmas. Seeds slightly curved, oblong, eliaosome present. x = 7, 8.