Plants acaulescent, solitary, never stoloniferous. Leaves 20-26, densely rosulate, oldest leaves horizontally disposed, triangular-lanceolate, about 10-15 cm, long, 9-10 cm broad (frequently as long as broad) very thick and fleshy, with an additional 10 cm of dried twisted purplish apex; upper surface flat to slightly canaliculate, dark green, sometimes with a reddish tinge, with numerous elongated pale green to dull white distinct or slightly obscure spots, more or less arranged in a series of undulating interrupted transverse bands; lower surface paler green, unspotted, indistinctly lineate; margins sinuate-dentate, usually with pronounced reddish-brown corneous edge armed with stout pungent deltoid brown to reddish-brown teeth about 5-7 mm long, 9-12 mm distant, the interspaces rounded. Inflorescence mostly about 80 cm high, sometimes 1 met., a second sometimes appearing after the first, branched well below the middle usually with 3 racemes, the lowest branch subtended at base by bracts 10 cm and more long. Racemes narrowly long cylindric-acuminate, sub-densely flowered, the terminal 30-40 cm long, lateral shorter, the apical buds sub-erect, dense, completely hidden by their longer bracts, open flowers laxer. Bracts of lowest pedicels 45-50 mm long, more fleshy and amplexicaul low down, more scarious upwards, with the apical 20 mm dry, twisted or coiled, narrowly deltoid-acuminate, many-nerved. Pedicels lowest of terminal racemes 20-25 mm long, gradually shorter upwards, reaching 50 mm in the fruit stage. Perianth 40-45 mm long, with sub-globose basal swelling 9-10 mm diam., constricted above the ovary to 5-6 mm, thence decurved and enlarging towards the throat, Peach-Red (R.C.S. I) with a bloom, the mouth usually yellowish; outer segments free 15 mm, with paler borders, yellowish inside, with about 6 obscure nerves confluent at apex, the apices sub-acute spreading; inner segments broader than the outer and with broader white border, the apices more obtuse more spreading. Filaments flattened, the 3 inner half as broad as the 3 outer and lengthening in advance, with their anthers shedding pollen distinctly in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers and Stigma not, or very shortly exserted. Ovary 8 mm long, 3-5 mm diam. at base, slightly tapering into the style, finely 6-grooved, green. Capsule oblong-cylindrical, 30 mm long, 15 mm diam. at the middle. Plants flower mostly in July-August, although earlier and later flowering forms occur.
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Herb succulent, stemless. Leaves 53-84 cm a dense rosette, spreading, frequently withered at the apex and recurved, triangular-lanceolate, 9-20 cm long and 9-11 cm broad, very fleshy, channelled above, convex below, upper surface dark green or reddish with numerous pale green to whitish stripes or spots, which are irregularly. Interrupted and by which irregular transverse bands are produced, lower surface light green or glaucous, indistinctly lineate, margins wavy with a distinct brown cartilaginous border, and beset with short deltoid horny teeth which are 9-12 mm apart, brown, and 6-7 mm long. Inflorescence about 80 cm high, branched below the middle, branches 2-3, erect, subtended at the base by bracts 10-11 cm long, racemes elongated, densely flowered, 25-30 cm long; bracts 45-47 mm long, lanceolate-linear, subulate-acuminate; pedicels 15-17 mm long, rather yellowish. Perianth strawberry-pink (R.C.S.), 40 mm long, distinctly inflated at the base and 9 mm diam., then clearly constricted above the ovary, very slightly decurved and swollen towards the mouth, lobes long and free for 15-17 mm., paler in colour at the margins, yellowish inside. Style and stamens very slightly exserted. Capsule oblong-cylindrical, 3-angled, 23-27 mm long and 13-16 mm diam., greyish; pedicels 25-27 mm long, erect. Seeds oblong, 3-winged, wings narrow, greyish-brown, 5 mm long.
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