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Description
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Plants 600–800(–1 200) mm high. Corm relatively small, 15–25 mm diam., persistent; tunics of coarse, wiry fibres. Stem stout, angled or narrowly winged below, many-branched, branches ascending, smooth or warty; stem bracts small, ovate to lanceolate, dry, brown and papery. Leaves 4 or 5, lowermost longest, linear or strap-like, 45–120 × 6–10 mm, suberect or trailing, twisted, leathery and sclerotic, closely veined with main vein obscure, remaining leaves cauline, progessively smaller, upper 2 or 3 entirely sheathing, dry and dark reddish brown. Inflorescence multibranched, terminal branches ascending, 1-flowered, smooth or warty; bracts broadly to transversely ovate, 5–8 mm long, acute or apiculate, leathery and green below or entirely dark brown with narrow, membranous margins, inner ± as long as outer and similar in texture, multinerved and clasping ovary, both mucilaginous on inner surfaces. Flowers suberect or slightly nodding, cup-shaped, bright orange, unscented, firm-textured; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 5–7 mm long; tepals suberect below then spreading, obovate, subequal or inner slightly broader, 20–30 × 7–15(–20), obtuse, weakly cupped. Filaments erect or curved outward above, 8–10 mm long; anthers 7–8 mm long, yellow. Style dividing opposite anthers, branches 3–3 mm long, forked at tips or divided up to 1/3. Capsules subglobose to obovoid, woody, 12–20 × 10–12 mm. Seeds ± 8 mm long, reddish brown. Flowering time: Oct.–Nov.
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