Plants acaulescent, in a basal rosette which is about 5.5 cm diam., (not) or slowly proliferous from the base. Leaves numerous, the young erect, incurved, the old ascending, somewhat spreading, incurved, about 30 mm long, 8 mm broad, up to 4 mm thick, oblong-lanceolate, black-green; upper surface flat to slightly rounded, semi-pellucid, with about 6 brownish longitudinal lines, smooth, yellow-white from the middle of the leaf to the base, green near the apex; lower surface rounded, black-green, yellow-white at the base of the leaves, smooth with 6 to 7 indistinct longitudinal lines; keel 1 or 2 in the upper third, with 2 mm long pellucid cuspidate teeth; margins acute, with 3 mm long cuspidate pellucid teeth; end-awn 9 mm long, brown, denticulated. Inflorescence about 21 cm tall; peduncle simple, terete, about 2 mm diam., 10 cm long, bracteate; sterile bracts membranous, ovate, acuminate, the two lower 10 mm long, upper 5-7 mm long, erect, keeled with a reddish-brown nerve; raceme about 11 cm long, lax, with about 20 spirally arranged flowers and buds, these quadrangularly arranged, 6 flowers open simultaneously; floral bracts 6 mm long, membranous, deltoid, acute, keeled with fine reddish veins, clasping the pedicels, (longer than the pedicels); pedicels 3 mm long, 1 mm diam., brown, erect; perianth greyish-black, 7 mm long, stipitate, compressed at base, the cylindrical-triangular base 5 mm across, constricted to 3 mm above, curved; posterior segments obtuse, recurved about 90 degrees with greyish-black veins; lower segments greyish-black, recurved, spreading; stamens 6 of two lengths inserted within the perianth tube 3 and 4 mm long; ovary 3 mm long, 1.25 mm diam., green; style 0.25 mm long, white, capitate.
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