Colchicaceae

Spring-flowering, non-woody (herbaceous) perennials with an upright forked stem, unstalked leaves, and nodding yellow flowers at the ends of the stem branches. The only one species in New Brunswick,Bellworts or Merrybells, grows in woods.

Flowers bell-shaped, symmetrical in 2 or more directions (radially), each on a thin unjointed stalk and producing both pollen and seeds. Sepals and petals each 3, identical (tepals), separate. Stamens 6, with short stalks (filaments), and long linear pollen-producing structures (anthers). Carpels 3, fused; ovary three-lobed, located above the site of attachment of the other flower parts (superior); styles separate only in the upper 1/3 to 1/4. Nectar produced at the base of the tepals. Fruit a broad, three-angled chambered capsule, smooth, stalked; seeds round.

Leaves alternate, all on the stem, the upper leaves broadly lance-shaped to oval, parallel-veined, sessile, smooth, with a white waxy coating beneath, reaching full size after blooming, the edges without teeth; the lowermost leaves reduced to bladeless sheaths.

Stem upright, smooth, forked above the middle. Above ground portions of plants from a slender underground stem (rhizome).