Herbaceous acaulescent, from 60 to 90 cm. Thick, cylindrical or ellipsoid tubers, yellow inside. Oblong or elliptical leaves, 30 to 50 cm, acuminate. Cylindrical spikes of 10 to 20 cm on a 12 cm scape; pale green bracts, the upper ones pink; pale yellow flowers.

Small tree, up to 8 m tall with shorttrunk up to 20 cm in diameter with long spreading branches; leaves short-petiolate, spatulate, fasciculate, 5-20 cm long; flowers bell-shaped, born on the trunk in clusters, 5-6 cm long, greenish- white to greenish-yellowish with purple markings, foul smelling; fruit globose to ellipsoid, smooth, shiny, 10-30 cm in diameter, with hard shell.

Tree or shrub 5 m or more; upright, quadrangular branches. Single, opposite, pubescent, ovate or elliptic leaves, 6 to 20 cm long, entire margin. Terminal pyramidal panicles, 10 to 40 cm long; numerous blue or purple flowers, 10 to 12 cm long. Blue or black drupe, spherical, 3 to 6 mm in diameter.

Herb of up to 4 m in height. Stem tightly covered by the base of the leaves, which are arranged in a spiral, leaving a scar on the stem when they die. Narrow elliptic leaves, 10 to 25 cm long and 2.5 to 6 cm wide, hairless to sparsely hirsute on the beam, glabrous to densely pubescent on the underside. Globose to ovoid inflorescence, 3 to 8 cm long and 3 to 4 cm wide, petals from yellow to glabrous red. Fruit, subglobose capsule of up to 15 mm in diameter.