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Description:
Plants 300–600(–800) mm high, with green cataphylls. Corm 18–24 mm diam.; tunics of brittle membranous layers, the outer irregularly broken or often fibrous, light brown. Leaves contemporary with the flowers, as far as known, but sometimes very short, 3 to 5, lower 2 or 3 basal or nearly so, usually laminate, blades narrowly lanceolate to nearly linear, 5–10 mm wide, about 1/3 as long to nearly as long as spike, firm-textured with moderately raised and thickened main vein and margins, upper 1 to 2, sometimes 3, leaves cauline and largely or entirely sheathing, often imbricate; sometimes all leaves with vestigial blades 20–30 mm long or blades entirely lacking. Stem unbranched, 3–6 mm diam. below first flower. Spike (2–)3- to 7(–10)-flowered; bracts pale green, fairly soft-textured, evidently becoming dry above, 28–32(–35) mm long, inner somewhat shorter than outer. Flowers pale yellow to cream, without nectar guides; perianth tube 18–25 mm long, nearly cylindric and curving outward in upper half; tepals unequal, 3 upper broadly elliptic to obovate, dorsal largest, 30–35 x 15–18 mm, arched over stamens, upper laterals about as long, but somewhat narrower, directed forward, lower 3 tepals curving downward, 20–25(–30) x 8–12 mm, lowermost about as long as upper laterals, lower laterals shortest. Filaments 12–16 mm long, reaching mouth of tube or exserted 1–2 mm; anthers 8–12 mm long, appressed to upper tepal, pale yellow. Ovary oblong, 6–8 mm long; style arched overstamens, dividing near apex of anthers, branches c. 4.5 mm long. Capsules narrowly obovoid, (18–)20–24 mm long, c. 12 mmdiam. at widest; seeds unknown. Flowering time: early December to late February, rarely into March.
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