Family of monocotyledonous plants, comprising about 85 genera and 1100 species, which mostly grow from bulbs. Typically, they lie dormant for long periods, breaking into leaf in the spring or after rains, flowering and dying down again. The flowers are either solitary or in heads, often with a bract below the ovary. The leaves are long with parallel veins. Genera grown as ornamentals include Narcissus, snowdrop, Hippeastrum and Amaryllis.