Rootstock woody, red in section. Leaves tough, drooping, fine-striate, 30-60 cm by 4-6 mm, those on the stem (inflorescence) all amplexicaulous on the nodes, gradually reduced in size upwards, upper ones sustaining the branches of the inflorescence bract-like. Stem (with inflorescence) 50-100 cm high (of which the unbranched part occupies 30-70 cm). Flowers red, numerous, in dense cymes forming a compact, corymbose, large or depauperate panicle. Pedicels 2-10 mm, mostly with 2 appressed, scarious, lanceolate, 1-nerved, very acute, 3-4 mm long bracteoles inserted at unequal height. Tepals oblong-lanceolate; outer ones thickened and subsaccate at the base, 5-6 by 1.5-1.75 mm; inner ones narrower, 6-7 by 1.5-1.75 mm; all lengthwise 5-nerved, apex bluntish, margins slightly scarious. Filaments nearly as long as the inner tepals, linear, flat, 0.5 mm broad, slightly broadened at the base, apex filiform; anthers elliptic, flat, 3 by 1 mm, incised to c. ⅓-¼ from the base, blunt at both ends; connective minutely apiculate. Style filiform, 7-8 mm. Capsule roundish, enveloped by the erect, somewhat accrescent tepals, c. 8-10 mm through, by abortion sometimes only 2-1 cells developed. Seeds not seen.
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Plant 60–90 cm tall. Basal leaves 2–6; lamina flat, 2.5–7 mm wide, occasionally to 11 mm. Inflorescence a dense corymb or with several corymbs, each on a major branch; bracteoles opaque or margins and upper part relatively translucent, orange-red, red or apically brown, the veins obscure or midvein apparent; upper bracteole acute, obtuse or rounded, not reaching flower or up to ⅓ flower length. Flowers 5.5–12 mm long, red or orange-red. Sepals 0.7–0.9 as long as petals. Stamens equal; anthers versatile, borne at top of flower, less than 1 mm shorter than petals or exserted up to ⅔ their length, 1.5–4 mm long. Style at anthesis usually exserted from petals by 0.5–2 mm and shortly exceeding anther tips.
In grass-fields and in Melaleuca and Banksia lowland, coastal savannah forest; common on sour, grey, clay soil, hard packed in the dry season and an inch to ankle deep in water during the wet, together with Schoenus, Rhynchospora, Drosera, Thysanotus, Tricoryne, Velleia, etc. ( Brass J. Arn. Arb. 19 1938 190 ); fl. July-Sept., fr.--12.The perianth of this and other spp. is apparently never wholly expanded during anthesis and is, therefore, not very conspicuous. The whole plant is provided with a red coloured substance in its tissues, to which the generic name alludes.The leaf-sheaths form a tunica round the root-stock, thus providing an excellent protection from fires in the dry season.
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Grows in sandy, clay and various kinds of rocky soils, dry or swampy, often in depressions behind beaches, associated with eucalypt forest, open forest, woodland and savannah or with Melaleuca .
Uses. The roasted rootstock is eaten by Australian aborigines. In Australia a strong fibre is made from the long, tough leaves; also bags are plaited from them. The plant is bitter and reputed poisonous to stock in Queensland ( F. M. Bailey Queensl. Agr. J. 5 1899 41-42 ).
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