Merendera

a genus of corm-forming plants of the family Liliaceae. The linear or lanceolate leaves appear simultaneously with the flowers. The perianth consists of six unfused segments with a narrow blade and a claw; the flowers are pink, lilac, or white. The fruit is a capsule. There are approximately ten species, distributed primarily in the eastern Mediterranean region and the Middle East (as far as India). Eight species are found in the USSR, in the Caucasus and Middle Asia. All species are ornamentals and may be used as early spring flowers. The best-known species are Merendera robusta and M. trigyna. Certain species contain alkaloids.