Description:
Plants 250–600 mm high. Corm sub-globose, 20–30 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem erect, simple or with 1 or 2 short, ascending branches. Leaves 4 to 6, mostly ± basal with uppermost partly or entirely sheathing stem below, 1/2–2/3 as long as spike, lanceolate to linear, (3–)5–10 mm wide, glossy, midrib and margins lightly to moderately thickened and hyaline; bract-like cauline leaves 1 or more. Spike usually 8 to 20-flowered; bracts usually overlapping, broadly clasping below, green below but dry at pale brown distally with evident netted venation, becoming dry throughout and lacerate, 11–24 mm long, inner ± as long, minutely forked apically. Flowers zygomorphic, usuallypendent, reddish or orange, occasionally purple or pink, inner tepals usually paler or whitish; perianth tube with lower part 12–15 long, emerging 5–8 mm from bracts, upper part sub-cylindric and slightly to strongly pendent, 25–28 mm long, 5–8 mm diam. in middle; tepals weakly spreading distally, obovate to oblanceolate, ± 10 × 7–9 mm. Filaments unilateral and declinate, 30–35 mm long, shortly exserted from tube but included in flower; anthers 4–5 mm long, yellow. Style arching below stamens, dividing near base of anthers, branches ± 4 mm long. Capsules fusiform-attenuate, 15–25(–30) × 4–8 mm long, dehiscing only above, rarely aborted and replaced by cormlets. Seeds linear, 6–8 × 1.0–1.5 mm, shortly 2-winged. Flowering time: late August to October (early November).
|