Plants always growing on dolomite formation in mountainous country, with stout stems mostly simple, rarely branched low down, and covered with old dried persistent leaf remains. Stem stout, erect, up to 2 met. tall. Leaves densely rosulate, lanceolate-ensiform, long-attenuate, up to 1.3 met, long, 18 cm broad at base when pressed flat, younger leaves spreading to recurved, older leaves spreading and considerably arcuate-recurved with the apices of the lowest leaves often touching the stem; upper surface deeply canaliculate, 'U' shaped in cross-section, green to sometimes slightly reddish: lower surface convex, green; margins usually with a distinct reddish edge 1-1.5 mm wide, armed with brownish-tipped red teeth 2-3 mm long, 10 mm distant, usually curved towards leaf apex. Inflorescence always simple, up to 1.3 met. tall, 3-5 from a rosette, the racemes erect, sometimes with a twist. Peduncle 20-40 cm long, flattened low down, terete upwards, deep brown, slightly sulcate, with numerous ovate-acute scarious thin many-nerved sterile brads about 8 mm, long, 5 mm broad. Racemes very densely multiflowered, narrowly cylindric, slightly acuminate, averaging 80 cm long, 4-5 cm diam., the buds rather greenish, the exserted filaments yellow, giving the raceme a slightly green-yellow bicoloured effect; the flowers half filled with almost dear nectar. Bracts ovate-acute, thin sub-scarious, 5-7 mm long, 4-5 mm broad, 3-5-nerved. Pedicels none (flowers sessile). Perianth lemon-yellow, sessile, cylindric-campanulate, 9 mm long and about 8 mm across the mouth; outer segments free, spathulate, 5-6 mm broad at the middle, 3-5-nerved, the apices obtuse; inner segments 8-9 mm long and almost as broad at the middle, with thin white edges and very obtuse almost rounded apices. Filaments pale yellow, flattened, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers exserted 7 mm Stigma at length exserted 7-8 mm. Ovary orange, 3 mm long and almost as broad at the middle. Capsule oblong, 9 mm, long, 7 mm diam.
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Trees 2-4 m tall; stems usually simple, rarely branched near base. Leaves many, recurved, 600-1300 x 70-180 mm, deeply channelled, olive-green, sometimes slightly reddish. Inflorescence simple, 3-5 simultaneously, up to 1.3 m tall; bracts ovate-acute, 5-8 x 3-5 mm, 3-5-nerved. Flowers sessile, lemon-yellow, 8-10 mm long. Anthers exserted 3-7 mm. Ovary ±3 x 3 mm, orange; style exserted 3-8 mm. Fruit ±9 x 7 mm.
Arborescent succulent, up to 4 m high. Inflorescence simple, up to 1.3 m high. Racemes narrowly cylindrical, over 500 mm long. Perianth shorter than 12 mm. Flowers sessile, lemon-yellow.
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