Dioecious, usually annual, rarely perennial.. Stems corm-like, shortly erect.. Leaves radical, linear, 10–37(–40) cm. long, 1–3(–4.5) mm. wide, attenuate to an obtuse tip, patent or erect, light to mid-green; margin denticulate towards apex.. Male spathe: peduncle up to 40 cm. long; body of spathe (3.5–)4–5.5(–6.5) cm. long, 2–3.5 mm. wide, 6-nerved, with up to 20 flowers.. Male flowers: sepals 4–6(–7) mm. long, 0.7–1.5 mm. wide, acute, green, often streaked with dark purple; petals linear, 1.3–1.5 mm. long, 1–1.3(–1.5) mm. wide, acute or obtuse, white, joined at first, then spreading; stamens 6, up to 3.75 mm. long; anthers 1.2–1.75 mm. long, yellowish, without a connective tip; filaments 1–3 mm. long.. Female spathe: peduncle up to 25 mm. long; body of spathe 5.5–8.5 mm. long, 1.8–2.7 mm. wide, 6-nerved, with 1(–2) flowers.. Female flowers: sepals 6–10 mm. long, 0.8–1.5 mm. wide, somewhat cucullate, green, often streaked with dark purple; petals filiform, 2–2.5 mm. long, ± 0.2 mm. wide, white, often withering as stigmas mature; ovary 4–5 mm. long; perianth-tube filiform or narrowly cylindric, up to 19 mm. long; stigmas up to 27 mm. long, white.. Fruit 4–6 cm. long, ± 2 mm. wide, brown.. Seeds narrowly ellipsoid, 1.5–2.5 mm. long, ± 1 mm. wide, smooth or slightly tuberculate, brown.. Fig. 4, p. 11.
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