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As defined by L. W. Lenz (1975, 1976b), Triteleia ixioides consists of five groups of plants that, although readily recognizable as a rule, often cannot be separated by constant characters. Subspecies ixioides and subsp. cookii are strictly coastal and widely separated geographically from the three subspecies of the interior. They flower from May to August (a month earlier than subsp. scabra) and usually are found in the shade of oaks, cypresses, or pines. Polyploidy is rampant and perhaps indicative of the geographical and ecological differentiation of these morphologically similar subspecies.

Leaves 1–2, 10–50 cm × 3–15 mm; blade linear. Scape 10–80 cm, usually smooth, sometimes scabrous near base. Flowers: perianth straw-colored or golden yellow, or sometimes white flushed with purple, usually similarly colored both adaxially and abaxially, 12–27 mm, tube acute at base, 3–10 mm, much shorter than or equal to lobes, lobes ascending to reflexed, with green, brown, or purple midveins, 6–20 mm; stamens attached at 1 level, held close to pistil, unequal, alternately long and short; filaments dilated entire length, noticeably flattened, apical appendages present, forked, those of longer filaments pointed, conspicuous; anthers white, cream, yellow, or blue, 1–2 mm; ovary longer than stipe; pedicel 1–9 cm (–12 cm in subsp. cookii). 2n = 10, 14, 16, 24, 32, 40, 42, 50.

Ornithogalum ixioides W. T. Aiton in W. Aiton and W. T. Aiton, Hortus Kew. 2: 257. 1811; Brodiaea ixioides (W. T. Aiton) S. Watson 1879, not Sims 1823; Calliprora ixioides (W. T. Aiton) Greene; Hookera ixioides (W. T. Aiton) Kuntze; Milla ixioides (W. T. Aiton) Baker; Themis ixioides (W. T. Aiton) Salisbury