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Description:
Plants 120–400 mm high. Corm globose, 8–12 mm diam.; tunics of fine to medium-textured fibres, forming a short collar around base of stem. Stem erect or inclined, ± straight, unbranched. Leaves 3 or 4, lower 1 or 2 basal, lowermost usually somewhat longer than spike, sheath scabridulous, linear, 1.5–3.5 mm wide, main vein and margins lightly thickened, remaining leaves progressively shorter, upper 2 leaves largely to entirely sheathing. Spike inclined, flowers borne on upper side, lightly flexuose, 2–8-flowered; bracts green, broadly ovate and obtuse, margins often reddish, outer 10–13 mm long, inner slightly shorter to slightly longer. Flowers nearly actinomorphic, subrotate, orange to salmon or brick-red, lower lateral tepals yellow near base, with a light, sweet scent; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 2.5–4 mm long, papillate at throat; tepals subequal, outer whorl slightly larger than inner, ovate, 11–18 × 5.5–10 mm. Filaments unilateral, 2–3 mm long, reaching to ± mouth of tube, bases papillate; anthers 4–5 mm long, yellow; pollen yellow. Style straight, 4–5 mm long, dividing opposite base of anthers, branches 3–4 mm long. Capsules obovoid, 3-lobed apically and retuse, 8–11 mm long. Seeds oblong, 4.5–6 × 3.5–4 mm, broadly and evenly winged. Flowering time: late October and November, occasionally in early December.
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