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Description:
Plants (100–)150–250(–350) mm high. Corm subglobose, 10–20 mm diam.; tunics of fine-textured or wiry fibres, sometimes thickened into flattened claws at base. Stem suberect or flexed outward above uppermost sheath, usually unbranched, rarely with 1 branch from near base. Leaves 4–8, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, suberect or spreading in a 2-ranked fan, usually ± 1/2 as long as stem, (40–)80–200 (–250) × (4–)6–10(–12) mm wide, acute to acuminate, main vein moderately thickened, margins slightly thickened, uppermost cauline leaf membranous, bract-like, sheathing, sometimes concealed by uppermost foliage leaf. Spike suberect, moderately lax, subsecund, 2–15-flowered; bracts dry-membranous, translucent flushed brown and speckled in upper half, 7–10(–12) mm long, minutely 3- or irregularly toothed, inner ± as long, shortly bifid. Flowers zygomorphic, orange or apricot with yellow throat and yellow spot on lower tepals surrounding callus; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, (10–)12–15(–20) mm long, lower cylindric portion 3–6(–15) mm long, widening to 6–8 mm diam.; tepals unequal, obovate, dorsal larger, slightly hooded over anthers, often paler inside, upper laterals spreading, lower tepals deflexed, upper tepals 10–15(–20) × 7–15 mm, lower (10–)12–15 × 5–8 mm, each with a quadrate yellow callus 2–4 mm high near base. Filaments unilateral, arcuate, 9–12(–15) mm long, exserted up to 6 mm; anthers (4–)5–6 mm long, often curved, violet. Style dividing opposite or beyond anthers, branches 4–6 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid, 7–10 mm long. Flowering time: late August to October or November.
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