Plant solitary, with simple stem 2-4 met, high, rarely forked high up, densely covered with the remains of old dry leaves. Leaves about 50, densely rosulate, lanceolate-ensiform, dull green, sometimes reddish tinged, about 1 met. long, 12-15 cm broad at base; upper surface slightly concave, usually copiously spiny throughout; margins sinuate-dentate, armed with stout deltoid pungent teeth 5-7 mm long, 10-20 mm distant, varying in colour from reddish to brownish. Inflorescence a branched panicle, 1-3 from a rosette, each with up to 14 racemes. Peduncle very stout, flattened low down, brown, somewhat sulcate, sometimes bearing a few thorns, the lowest branches usually 2-3-branched. Racemes erect or sub-erect, rather truncate, mostly 25 cm long, 9-10 cm diam., densely multiflowered, the buds and flowers more or less horizontally disposed, the buds slightly redder than the yellow to golden-yellow open flowers. Brads ovate-acute, thin scarious, deep brown, reflexed, 4-5 mm long, 5 mm broad at base, 3-5-nerved. Pedicels 3 mm long. Perianth yellow to golden-yellow, rather narrowly clavate-cylindric, 32 mm long, about 5 mm diam. at base, slightly decurved and enlarging to about 8 mm diam. at throat; outer segments free to the middle or beyond, faintly 3-5-greenish-nerved, the 2 uppermost more closely grouped, with their apices somewhat falcately connivent; inner segments free, but dorsally adnate to the outer for one-third their length, broader than the outer, carinate with 3 congested yellowish nerves in median line, the margins pale lemon almost white, the apices more obtuse than the outer, with the revolute part dull to glossy deep purplish-black to black, and with the apical 5 mm of the margins sometimes similarly coloured. Filaments flattened, the 3 inner narrower and lengthening in advance of the three outer, pale lemon within the perianth, the exserted part (20 mm) orange. Anthers exserted 20 mm Style lemon-coloured within the perianth, the exserted part paler orange than that of the filaments, with the stigma at length exserted 20 mm. Ovary 7 mm long, 3.5 mm diam., finely 6-grooved, green.
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Succulent, perennial tree; caulescent. Stems up to 5 m long, simple, rarely forked high up, erect, densely covered with persistent dried leaves. Leaves with blade narrowly ovate-ensiform, ± 1 m long; margins with stout, pungent, deltoid, reddish to brownish teeth, dull green, sometimes reddish tinged, without spots, with scattered, reddish brown, pungent spines. Flowers: inflorescence much branched, up to 1 m high, with cylindrical, rather truncate, fairly erect, dense racemes; floral bracts 4-5 mm long; stamens and stigma well exserted; perianth ± 32 mm long, slightly decurved, yellow to golden-yellow; Jul., Aug.
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