Bobartia robusta Baker

Plants 0.7-2.1 m high, sometimes forming large clumps. Rhizome compact and corm-like, 20-30 mm diam. Stem formed by basal internode only, terete, 3-6 mm diam., with fine stomatiferous furrows. Foliage leaves 2 to 7 in a basal tuft, sessile, ± as long as and resembling stem. Rhipidia suberect, 8 to 40 crowded in a dense obovoid head subtended by suberect bract, usually green in upper part but dry and ± papery or fibrous below, expanded and partially sheathing young synflorescence; pedicels sparsely pubescent distally; rhipidial bracts and spathes firm-textured, bracts and outer spathe broadly lanceolate, papery or fibrous, reddish brown, inner spathe 15-25 mm long, usually ± green. Flowers yellow, sometimes tinged red on reverse; tepals free, elliptic, outer 20-32 x 10-18 mm, inner slightly smaller. Filaments 3-5 mm long; anthers ± 8 mm long. Ovary scarcely exserted or not, weakly to densely papillate; style 2-3 mm long, branches 5-7 mm long. Capsules exserted, obovoid to broadly cylindric, conspicuously rugose or verrucose to muricate, 7-18 mm long, dark reddish brown.