Rhizomes extensively branching, to 12 × 0.5–0.7 cm, becoming 1.5–2 cm diam., with coarse, strongly ribbed, brown, scalelike leaves. Stems simple or rarely 1-branched, 3–7 dm. Leaves: basal with blade green, often with red-brown margins, lightly ribbed, linear-ensiform, 3–5 dm × 1.5–2.3 cm, glaucous, apex acute; cauline 2–3, spreading, blade narrowly linear, 0.5–0.7 cm wide, apex acute. Inflorescence units 1-flowered, branch unit (if present) 1-flowered; spathes covering pedicel, ovary, floral tube, and base of sepals, unequal, outer 3 cm × 10 mm, inner 6 cm × 10 mm. Flowers: perianth blue-violet; floral tube with brown striations, funnelform, 2–2.5 cm; sepals blue-violet with deeper veins, with yellow-white signal, orbicular, 7–8 × 3–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate into whitish claw with yellow-brown veining; petals mostly hidden by bases of sepals, much reduced, 1.5 × 0.3–0.5 cm, bristle absent; ovary trigonal, with shallow groove at each angle, 1.5 cm; style 3.5–4 cm, crests linear to subquadrate, 1–1.8 cm, margins sometimes incised; stigmas semicircular, margins entire; pedicel 2–3.5 cm. Capsules globose to oblong, obtusely 3-angled, with rounded angles, 2.5–4 × 2 cm, rounded basally, abruptly contracted into beak apically. Seeds in 1 row per locule, dark red-brown, semicircular, flattened, 6–8 mm; seed coat thick. 2n = 40.
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