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Scapes up to c. 37(45) cm long, overtopped by the mature leaves, strongly flattened in cross-section, 2–5 mm wide, width reducing in steps as pedicels diverge, whitish sericeous to spreading pubescent particularly towards the apex and on the margins towards the base; bracts 7–40 mm long, subulate to linear-lanceolate; pedicels erect-ascending, the lower ones 5–25 mm long, the upper decreasing in length.
Outer tepals 10–18 × 4–5 mm, lanceolate with ± involute margins, silvery strigose-sericeous abaxially, often drying greenish; inner tepals 10–12 × 5–8 mm, broadly elliptic, glabrous except for the abaxial midrib, the hairs unequally 3–6-armed (stellate) usually with one arm strongly developed.
Seeds black and glossy, 1.2–1.7 mm in diameter, globose; testa papillose, the papilla minute varying from incipient dome-shaped undulations to sharply conical points, the cuticle smooth and shiny.
Rhizome vertical, 3–5 × 4–6 cm, subglobose or hemispheric with a flat base, or up to c. 8 cm long and ± cylindrical, with numerous stout contractile roots about the middle.
Flowers 3–14(25) in a raceme-like ± cylindrical arrangement 3–13 cm long.
Inflorescences 1–5(8), usually appearing with the leaves.
Filaments 1.3–1.6 mm long; thecae 3–4.5(5.7) mm long.
Style 0.5–1(2.3) mm long; stigma 1–2(3.5) mm long.
Capsule 4–8 × 3–6 mm, turbinate, 16-to 20-seeded.
Robust perennial herb to 75 cm tall.
