Plants 30-60(-80) cm. high.. Corm 1.8-2.4 cm. in diameter, tunics of brittle membranous layers, the outer irregularly broken or often fibrous, light brown.. Leaves contemporary with the flowers (as far as known), but sometimes very short, 3-5, the lower 2-3 basal or nearly so, usually laminate, the blades narrowly lanceolate to nearly linear, 5-10 mm. wide, ± 1/3 as long to nearly as long as the spike, firm textured with moderately raised and thickened midrib and margins, the upper 1-2(-3) leaves cauline and largely or entirely sheathing, often imbricate; sometimes all the leaves with vestigial blades 2-3 cm. long or blades entirely lacking.. Stem unbranched, 3-6 mm. in diameter below the first flower.. Spike erect, (2-)3-7(-10)-flowered; bracts pale green, fairly soft-textured, evidently becoming dry above, 2.8-3.2(-3.5) cm. long, the inner somewhat shorter than the outer.. Flowers pale yellow to cream, without nectar guides; perianth-tube 1.8-2.5 cm. long, nearly cylindric and curving outward in the upper half; tepals unequal, the 3 upper broadly elliptic-obovate, the dorsal largest, 3-3.5 cm. long, to 1.5-1.8 cm. at the widest, arched over the stamens, the upper laterals ± as long, but somewhat narrower, directed forward, the lower 3 tepals curving downward, 2-2.5(-3) cm. long, 8-12 mm. wide, the lowermost ± as long as the upper laterals and the lower laterals shortest.. Filaments 1.2-1.6 cm. long, reaching the mouth of the tube or exserted 1-2 mm.; anthers 8-12 mm. long, appressed to the dorsal tepal, pale yellow.. Style arched over the stamens, dividing near the apex of the anthers, branches ± 4.5 mm. long.. Capsule narrowly obovoid, ± 1.8-2.4 × 1.2 cm.
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