Plants mostly 150-240 mm high. Corm ovoid, symmetric, 5-8 mm diam.; tunics dark brown to blackish, imbricate, outer layers regularly notched below into sections. Stem sparsely ciliate, simple or 1-branched from axil of cauline leaf. Leaves 3, lower 2 basal, linear to sword-shaped, usually shorter than stem, 3-6 mm wide, apparently plane but margins with narrow, ascending wings ciliate along edges, main vein also slightly raised and winged, sparsely ciliate along edges, uppermost leaf cauline, sheathing for at least half its length. Spike flexed at base, 2-to 5-flowered, flexuose; bracts ± membranous, dry and pale brown above, outer 10-16 mm long, inner smaller than outer. Flowers zygomorphic with unilateral, decumbent stamens and style, shallowly cupped, white flushed mauve on reverse of outer tepals (often becoming pink or mauve with age); perianth tube funnel-shaped, 1.5-2.0 mm long; tepals narrowly obovate, 14-16 x 3-6 mm. Filaments unilateral, horizontal, unequal, two longer 5-7 mm long, shorter one ± 3 mm long; anthers 4.5-6.0 mm long, creamy white. Style dividing opposite upper 1/3 of anthers, branches 3-4 mm long. Capsules globose, ± 5 mm long.
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