Plants up to 120 mm high, excluding leaves. Stem with main axis suberect and sterile, usually with two decumbent branches borne close to ground, minutely velvety. Leaves 6 to 8, linear, up to 300 x 2-3 mm, firm, ± oval in cross section, closely pleated, usually with 2 or 3 folds on each surface, smooth. Spike horizontal, ± 2-ranked, mostly 8-to 12-flowered; bracts minutely scabrid, green with dry brown apices, outer 14-22 mm long, with prominent mucro, inner ± half as long, divided ± to base, joined by transparent tissue at ovary level. Flowers zygomorphic, facing spike apex, ± red, paler in throat, lower part of tube yellow, lower 5 tepals with pale green limbs sometimes fading to pink near tips, darker green in midline, unscented; perianth tube compressed-funnel-shaped, lower part ± 4 mm long, cylindric and kinked near apex, abruptly expanded into flared upper part 12-17 mm long; tepals unequal, outer whorl prominently mucronate, dorsal 15-18 x 2.5-3.5 mm, ascending, channelled below, margins curving inward enclosing filaments and style, expanded to 3 mm wide and recurved in upper 5 mm, lower 3 tepals united with upper laterals for ± 4 mm in prominent lip, directed forward, lower and upper laterals ± 8 x 1.5 mm, lower median 3-7 x 1-2 mm. Stamens unilateral; filaments suberect, 25-32 mm long, enclosed below by dorsal tepal, reaching apex of dorsal tepal; anthers 3.5-5.0 mm long, purple. Ovary smooth; style dividing shortly below base of anthers, branches 4-5 mm long, recurved. Capsules barrel-shaped, ± 11 x 8.5 mm, showing outline of seeds.
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Like B. ringens but leaves linear, arching, flowers much smaller, upper lateral and lower tepals directed forward, pale green, lower part of tube ± 4 mm long with an S-bend at apex.
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