This genus from the Americas consists of about 35 species of bulbous plants. The basal leaves are sword shaped and folded so that they are nested inside each other forming a strongly compressed, 2 ranked fan (equitant).

The generic name is from the Latin word, tigris, which refers to a jaguar with a spotted pelt that resembles the makings of this flower the colors of which range from orange to bright pink to red to yellow.