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Description:
Plants 120–500 mm high. Corm 18–30 mm diam.; tunics of densely matted fibres, with short or long collar. Stem decurved at base then suberect or erect, simple or usually branched with up to 4 suberect or rarely divaricate branches, short to half as long as stem, slender or relatively robust. Basal leaves 3 to 6, green or dry at flowering, blade linear-lanceolate or lanceolate, 100–250 × 2–8(–12) mm, acuminate, narrowed and pseudoetiolate below, with 1 or 2(4) veins; cauline leaves 3 to 6, lower 1–3 subulate, upper 1 or 2 bract-like, brown. Spike laxly or moderately densely 4–18-flowered, 50–180 mm long, lateral spikes shorter, 1–8-flowered; bracts greenish at base, dry and brown above, soft-textured or leathery, oblong or ovate, outer 5–10 mm long, acute or obtuse or shortly apiculate, inner slightly longer. Flowers zygomorphic, pale to deep pink, lower 3 tepals with red median streak flanked by white streaks, unscented; perianth tube narrowly funnel-shaped, 7–15(–20) mm long, tepals unequal, dorsal larger, arched over stamens, oblanceolate-spathulate, clawed in lower 2/3, 20–28 × (3–)4–6 mm, obtuse or emarginate, other tepals recurved in distal 1/3, 20–25 × 3–5 mm, upper laterals joined to lower laterals for ± 1 mm and lower 3 joined at base for 5–7 mm. Filaments arcuate, later recurved, 15–18 mm long; anthers 5–7 mm long, pink or lilac, with acuminate, recurved apiculus 1–1.5 mm long. Style 24–28 long, dividing opposite upper half or beyond anthers, branches 3–4 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid to obovoid, slightly inflated, (6–)8–12(–15) × 8–10 mm, pale or greenish with dark bands along the sutures. Seeds tetrahedral, 3–4 mm long, narrowly winged on angles. Flowering time: mainly Jan.–Apr.
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