Plants 500-950 mm high. Corm ± globose, 10-18 mm diam.; tunics of fine, pale, netted dark fibres. Stem usually with 1 or 2 short, erect branches held close to main stem. Leaves 5 to 7, ± linear, leathery, reaching to between middle of stem and nearly to base of spike, 2-7 mm wide, firm, with 3 or 4 prominent veins. Spike laxly 10-to many-flowered; bracts ± dry, straw-coloured, outer 8-10 mm long, with 1 prominent vein, mostly 1-toothed, inner slightly shorter than outer, 2-veined, 2-toothed. Flowers half nodding, salver-shaped, green, blue-green or grey-blue, usually with prominent, dark purple or reddish to ± black centre (rarely whitish in centre); perianth tube filiform, 6-9 mm long; tepals subequal, ± elliptic, spreading, connate in lower ± 1 mm, (10-)16-25 x (4-)7-11 mm. Filaments (2-)3-4 mm long, parallel, purple (rarely whitish); anthers suberect, (5-)9-13 mm long; pollen yellow. Style dividing opposite base (rarely middle) of filaments, purple (rarely whitish), branches falcate, ± 3 mm long.
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Cormous geophyte, 50-100 cm, stem with several, short, few-flowered branches. Leaves narrow. Flowers in elongate, lax spikes, green to pale blue with dark purple-black centre, tube filiform.
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