Plants caulescent, solitary when young, later proliferating from the base to form small clusters, slow-growing, herbaceous, succulent perennials. Stems initially erect or suberect, tending to become decumbent with age; mature clusters c. 65 cm in diameter. Branches developing from the base, rarely reaching up to 60 cm in length; dense clumps consisting of c. 10 branches. Leaves 20-35 x 16 mm at widest fleshy part above base, narrowly deltoid, arranged in 5 vertical ranks [quinquefarious], mostly spirally-twisted often appearing imbricate; dark green to yellow-green, usually with a distinctly glossy sheen, becoming orange to maroon in full sun, surface markings variable, usually glabrous, sometimes with occasional spots, tubercles, or striations; horizontally spreading, patent to slightly patent-erect, rarely sub-erect; keel occasionally double, one of the margins sometimes losing its identity near the leaf apex; keels and margins cartilaginous, shiny, often spotted or with tubercles that whiten from solar exposure; apex following the angle of the leaf or curving upwards, acuminate, attenuate, mucronate. Inflorescence a simple or branched, pedunculate raceme or panicle, (30-)45-50(-60) cm long; peduncle 4-bracteate below raceme, with pedicellate, spirally arranged flowers arising in the axils of small, colourless, membranous, tapering, clasping bracts in upper half; peduncle on average 7 mm wide at base; spent peduncles persistent, remaining on the plants for a long time, pedicels 3-5 mm long, 0.5 mm in diameter. Flowers 9-11 x 3-4 mm, unevenly distributed in raceme, 1-15 mm apart, ascending-spreading; tepals fused to form a tube, lobes pale grey, midribs visible as darker-tinted grey stripes for the length of the tube, outer 3 tepals overlap the inner 3; tube often slightly curved, narrowed at the tip before the free portions of the lobes flare; lobes free, not recurved, inner lobes more incurved than outer lobes, tips yellow; stamens 7.5-9 mm long, anthers 0.5 x 1 mm; ovary 4 x 1.2 mm, oblong, light green; style 4 mm long, slightly curved, pale yellow; stigma minute, white, capitate. Fruit an ovoid, cylindrical, trilocular capsule, 8 x 3 mm, pale glaucous-green, upturned and retaining dried sheath of the dead flower at the tip. Seed dark brown to black, angled, with slight wing, 2.5-3.0 x 1-2 mm, including wing. Chromosome number: unknown.
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