Plants slender, 120-350 mm high. Corm ± ovoid, 8-12 mm diam. (larger when old tunic layers accumulated); tunics woody, rarely papery, brown, imbricate, outer layers notched below into truncate segments, drawn into bristles above. Stem erect, flexed at base of spike, with membranous, green to white bract 7-12 mm long in upper 1/3, simple or rarely with short branch in axil of stem bract. Leaves 2, basal, lowermost free from base, straight to falcate, cross-shaped section, with strongly raised margins and midrib, thus with 4 grooves, sticky, often with adhering sand especially below, upper leaf sheathing almost entirely, enclosing stem in lower half or nearly to base of spike, free part 10-30 mm long. Spike 4-to 10(-20)-flowered; bracts green, becoming dry, transparent and pale or rarely brownish above, spreading distally, 6-8 mm long, inner shorter than outer. Flowers actinomorphic, rotate, white, pale grey-blue or blue with white centre; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 1.0-1.5 mm long; tepals elliptic, 7-9 x 3-4 mm wide. Filaments erect, equal, 2-3 mm long; anthers 2.5-3.5 mm, white; pollen creamy white. Style 5-6 mm long, dividing nearly opposite anther tips, branches ± 1 mm long. Capsules globose, 3-4 mm long, surrounded by bracts.
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Cormous geophyte, 12-35 cm, tunics woody, imbricate. Leaves only 2, basal linear, margins heavily thickened, second leaf entirely sheathing. Flowers small, white to pale blue or mauve, tepals spreading.
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