Plants solitary, never in groups, acaulescent. Leaves about 20, densely rosulate, arcuate-erect to sub-erect, slightly spreading, about 30 cm long, 9 cm broad (sometimes reaching 45 cm long, 11 cm broad, in very robust specimens), usually with an additional 10 cm of reddish-brown dried twisted apex; upper surface flat to slightly canaliculate, green, without spots, but clearly lineate with many longitudinal dark lines; lower surface convex, usually paler green than the upper, and more obscurely lineate, without spots; margins sinuate-dentate, always with a prominent horny reddish-brown edge armed with pungent deltoid reddish-brown teeth about 5-8 mm, long, 10-15 mm distant. Inflorescence up to 1 met. high with 5-10 branches from about the middle, forming a rather compact panicle, usually 1, occasionally 2, to a plant. Peduncle stout, deep green to brownish and covered with a grey powdery substance, not sterile-bracteate below the first branch, but the branches usually with a few deltoid dry sterile bracts below the racemes. Racemes the terminal up to 25 cm long, rather densely flowered, cylindric slightly acuminate (not conical) the apex rounded. Bracts lowest about 15 mm long (as long as their pedicels), very thin, scarious, narrowly deltoid (almost linear), about 5-nerved, the upper half usually coiled backwards. Pedicels lowest of terminal racemes about 15 mm long, lengthening to 30 mm in the fruit stage. Perianth usually about 45 mm long, dull brick-red (nearest scarlet red R.C.S. I.), basally rounded (not stipitate), with basal swelling 9-10 mm diam., constricted above ovary to 5-6 mm, thence slightly decurved and enlarging towards the throat with the mouth usually slightly upturned; outer segments free for 10 mm, with white marginal border, and with 5 crowded obscure nerves confluent at apex, the apices sub-acute slightly spreading; inner segments broader than the outer, with more obtuse more spreading apices. Filaments filiform-flattened, broader at base, narrowing to the anthers, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers 3-5 mm long, not or very shortly exserted. Stigma at length exserted 2-4 mm. Ovary 9 mm long, 3 mm diam., slightly narrowing into the style, finely 6-grooved, green. Note: Leaf sap dries pale yellow.
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Plants solitary, stemless, 200-300 mm tall excluding inflorescence. Leaves 16-20, 200-400 x 50-100 mm, ascending, D-shaped to slightly channelled in section, green, lineate, with no to few spots on upper surface only, usually with maroon horny margins between teeth. Inflorescence with 3-8 ultimate branches; racemes sub-cylindric, dense; bracts deltoid-acuminate, ±13-23 x 3 mm, ±5-nerved. Flowers dull brick-red, sometimes clavate above constriction above ovary, 25-45 mm long; outer segments free for 6-10 mm, inner segments adnate to outer; pedicels 15-22 mm long, lengthening to 25-30 mm in fruit. Anthers not or hardly exserted. Ovary 7-9 x 2-3 mm, green; style exserted 0-4 mm. Fruit ±17 x 8 mm, bluish grey.
Acaulescent, succulent herb, up to 300 mm tall, solitary. Leaves 16-20, lineate, 200-100 x 50-100 mm, usually with maroon, horny margins between teeth, leaf spots obscure. Inflorescence with 3-8 ultimate branches. Racemes conical, longer than wide. Flowers dull brick-red.
A plant that grows singly and does not have a stem. It grows 20-30 cm tall. There are 16-20 leaves in rings. These are 20-40 cm long by 5-10 cm wide. They are D shaped and point upwards. There are 3-8 flowering shoots on the upper branches. The flowers are dull red.
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