Leaves 10-15 in a dense cyathiform rosette, 3-6 dm. long, usually much exceeding the inflorescence, densely pale-ap-pressed-lepidote beneath, often red-striped; sheaths ovate, 1 dm. long, castaneous toward base; blades ligulate, acute, apiculate, 20-25 mm. wide. Scape erect. Scape-bracts densely imbricate, the lower foliaceous, the upper broadly elliptic, apiculate, subinflated, bright red to reddish brown. Inflorescence simple, densely fusiform, few-flowered, fertile throughout, 7-10 cm. long, glabrous. Floral bracts like the upper scape-bracts but not apiculate, 5 cm. long, membran-aceous. Flowers short-pedicellate. Sepals subelliptic, broadly obtuse, to 25 mm. long, membranaceous, short-connate. Petals connate into a slender tube for most of their length, over 6 cm. long, yellow, the free lobes elliptic, obtuse. Stamens barely included, the filaments highly connate with the petals.
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