Plants 50-150 mm high. Corm ± globose, obliquely flattened below, 5-12 mm diam.; tunics blackish, imbricate, notched regularly below into sections. Stem suberect, ciliate to pubescent below third leaf, ciliate or smooth above, simple or 1-branched, sheathed below by fibrous collar of decayed leaf bases. Leaves 3, lower 2 basal, uppermost largest, inserted in middle of stem, blades linear, straight, 1/2-2/3 as long as stem, 2-3 mm wide, margins raised into wings extending at right angles to blade, main veins also raised and winged, minutely ciliate to visibly pubescent on wing edges, main veins and sometimes secondary veins. Spike flexed at base, flexuose, mostly 3-to 7-flowered; bracts membranous and greenish to transparent below, rust brown above, outer 6-8 mm long, flexed outward in upper 1/2, inner slightly shorter. Flowers actinomorphic, rotate, creamy white, outer tepals bright red outside; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 1.5-2.0 mm long, enclosed in bracts; tepals ovate-elliptic, 8-12 x 3-4 mm. Filaments suberect, equal, ± 3 mm long; anthers 2.5-3.0 mm long, creamy white; pollen creamy white. Style dividing opposite apex of anthers, branches recurved.
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Cormous geophyte, 8-15 cm, tunics woody, imbricate, stem velvety. Leaves narrowly sword-shaped, margins and midribs thickened. Flowers small, cream-coloured, bright red on reverse, tepals spreading.