Small acaulescent plants with fusiform roots; usually solitary, sometimes in small groups. Leaves 6-12, rosulate, narrowly linear, sub-erect, 10-15 cm long, 4-5 mm broad, below ground level dilating to 10 mm broad and becoming amplexicaul; upper surface slightly canaliculate, without spots, dull green; lower surface convex, without spots, dull green, sometimes very slightly obtusely keeled; margins armed with minute white teeth about '5 mm long, 1 mm distant. Inflorescence simple, 9-15 cm tall. Peduncle 2-3 mm diam., terete, clothed with about 6-9 ovate-acuminate, scarious, 3-nerved sterile-bracts about 10-15 mm long, 4-5 mm broad at base. Raceme capitate, about 2-5 cm long, 5 cm diam., 8-16-flowered, the flowers dull creamy-white, green tipped. Bracts usually as long as the pedicels, ovate-acuminate, thin, scarious, 4-5 mm broad at base, 5-nerved. Pedicels lowest 10-15 mm long, shorter upwards. Perianth 18 mm long, cylindric-trigonous, basally shortly stipitate and tapering into the pedicel, narrowing to the throat and forming a very distinctly bilabiate mouth; outer segments free, with sub-acute apices, and 3 greenish nerves confluent at apex; inner segments a little broader than the outer, with their apices more obtuse; not cohering to the outer, and with a lemon to greenish keel. Note: The upper 2 outer and 1 inner segment apices revolute and forming a very distinct upper lip; the 2 inner and 1 outer lower segments straighter and forming a lower lip, the whole mouth somewhat up-curved. Filaments filiform-slightly flattened, pale lemon, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers and style included, or exceedingly shortly exserted (1 mm). Ovary olive green, 3 mm long, I-5 mm diam., finely 6-grooved. Flowers late March to April.
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Stemless grass aloe 75-100 mm tall, solitary or in small groups; roots fusiform. Leaves 15-30 cm a rosette, linear, 50-180 x 1-5 mm, bright green, slightly canaliculate above, broadly deltoid in section, margins with minute white teeth. Inflorescence a capitate raceme; peduncle 100-350 mm long, with sterile bracts; bracts ovate-acuminate, ±11 x 2-5 mm, 3-7-nerved. Flowers whitish, 13-18 mm long; pedicels ±10 mm long; outer segments free, inner segments not adnate to the outer, mouth distinctly bilabiate, upturned. Anthers not or very shortly exserted. Ovary ±3.0 x 1.5 mm, olive-green; stigma not or very shortly exserted. Fruit ±8 x 4 mm, buff.
Acaulescent, heat-sensitive, succulent herb, up to 100 mm tall, proliferating below ground and forming clumps. Leaves not fibrous, margins usually minutely dentate. Raceme capitate. Flowers white.
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