Plants shortly caulescent, or with age with procumbent stems up to 50 cm and more long, densely covered with the remains of old dry leaves, rarely solitary, usually in groups, the ball-like rosettes up to 30 cm diam. Leaves densely rosulate arcuate-erect-incurved, deltoid-lanceolate, up to 20 cm long, 4 cm broad at base terminating in a long black point; upper surface dull deep green to brownish-green, flat low down, canaliculate upwards; lower surface convex, the colour of the upper surface, slightly carinate in upper half, the keel armed with about 6 black prickles which are shorter and paler low down, longer (10 mm) and deep black upwards; margins armed with pungent horny deltoid isolated teeth which are pale, almost white, smaller and more crowded near base, longer (10 mm) deep black, 10-15 mm apart upwards, the teeth straight or varyingly indexed to spreading. Inflorescence, usually simple, rarely with a branch, up to 1 met. high. Peduncle brown, flattened low down and up to 2 cm diam.; clothed with about 20 sterile bracts which are ovate-acuminate, thin scarious brownish many-nerved, up to 6 cm long, 20 mm broad at base. Racemes rather densely flowered, 20-25 cm long, 8 cm diam. at the middle, the buds sub-erect densely crowded, older buds horizontally disposed, open flowers sub-pendulous, the flowers bright scarlet-red turning yellowish. Bracts the lowest 25 mm long, 7 mm broad at base, thin dry pale brown, 3-5-nerved, sub-amplexicaul, a little longer than their pedicels. Pedicels lowest 15 mm long, longer in the fruit. Perianth cylindric-trigonous, slightly curved, about 45 mm long, rounded at base, not stipitate; outer segments free almost to base, the apices sub-acute, slightly greenish tipped: inner segments free, almost white, with a pale keel, brownish-green at apex. Filaments filiform-flattened, the 3 inner narrower and lengthing in advance of the 3 outer. Anthers in turn exserted up to 5 mm Stigma at length exserted about 5 mm. Ovary about 6 mm long, 3 mm diam., finely 6-grooved, green. Flowers mostly in June.
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Plants short-stemmed, 200-300 mm tall excluding inflorescence, usually solitary. Leaves densely rosulate, narrowly lanceolate, 80-200 x 20-40 mm, upper surface flat, lower surface convex, obscurely carinate towards apex, yellowish to brownish green, keel with a row of black or white prickles, margins with hard, black or white, pungent teeth, apex with a hard, black, pungent spine. Inflorescence a dense raceme; peduncle 0.4-1 m long; bracts narrowly lanceolate-acuminate, 25-35 x 5-8 mm, 3-5-nerved. Flowers scarlet in bud, yellowish at flowering, incurved, ± cylindric, 35-45 mm long; pedicels 15-25 mm, lengthening in fruit. Anthers exserted 3-5 mm. Ovary 6-7 x 2-3 mm, green; style exserted 4-7 mm. Fruit ±28 x 12 mm, grey.
Short-stemmed, rosettes single, dense, ball-shaped, more often in groups of 10 or more, 200-300 mm tall. Leaves brownish green, narrow, triangular, ± 200 mm long, 40 mm wide at base, incurved, surface rough, keel and margins with large, black, thorn-like teeth up to 10 mm long. Flowers in usually unbranched, oblong racemes, bright red, yellowing with age.
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