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.

Tree 4-5 (rarely 8) meters high, trunk up to 20 cm in diameter and extended branches. Spatulate, fasciculate, short petiolate leaves, from 5 to 20 cm. Single, yellowish flowers with purple veins, 5 to 6 cm; lacerate lobes. Globose or ellipsoid fruit, smooth, glossy, 10 to 30 cm in diameter, 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.