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Description:
Plants 200–350 mm high. Corm moderately deep-seated, subglobose, 15–30 mm diam.; tunics of fine–moderately coarse-textured fibres, extending into a fibrous and papery collar. Stem flexed outward near base then suberect, simple or with up to 3 suberect branches. Leaves 5–7, linear to narrowly lanceolate or falcate, slightly succulent, 50–120 × (1.5–)2–4 m, acuminate, with translucent main vein and sometimes 1 additional vein, margins translucent, cauline leaves bract-like and often dry. Spike erect, almost 2-ranked, rather lax, 5–9-flowered; bracts green and leathery becoming dry and membranous above or dry entirely, margins membranous, brown, speckled dark brown at tips, outer 5–10 mm long, 2 or 3-toothed or subacute, inner ± equal or slightly shorter, bifid. Flowers weakly zygomorphic, ± salver-shaped, sometimes inverted, cream or creamy yellow, lower tepals paler, lightly sweet-scented; perianth tube sub-cylindric to narrowly-funnel-shaped, 12–22 mm long, widening gradually from near middle to 2 mm diam.; tepals subequal, elliptic, spreading but dorsal initally suberect, 8–12 × 3–5 mm, lower tepals puberulous, each with small, obliquely peg-like callus 0.5 mm high. Filaments unilateral, arcuate, 5–7 mm long, shortly exserted; anthers 3–5 mm long, pale yellow; pollen cream.. Style 18–25 mm long, dividing between middle and tips of anthers, branches 1.5–2 mm long. Capsules subglobose, 5–10 mm long. Flowering time: late July to early October, depending on the rains.
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