Plants 300-800(-1200) mm high, base weakly sheathed by fine fibres. Corm 10-15 mm diam., tunics of fine to moderately coarse, dark brown, reticulate fibres. Stem simple or rarely branched, with solitary cormlet in axil of second leaf and sometimes also third leaf. Leaves (4)5 or 6, green or drying at flowering, lowermost 2 or 3 longest, blades 100-300(-800) mm long, 2.5-5.0(-15.0) mm diam., tubular and hollow, sometimes inflated, acute-mucronate, upper leaves progressively shorter and narrower, uppermost bract-like and entirely sheathing. Spike 10-to 40(-70)-flowered, bracts brown with broad translucent membranous margins, 8-11(-15) mm long, as long as 1.5-2.0 spike internodes, inner bracts slightly shorter than outer, forked apically, membranous with 2 dark keels broadened toward base. Flowers suberect, dark violet or purple, unscented; perianth tube ± cylindric, 22-25 mm long; tepals oblong, 5-6 x 1.5-2.5 mm, reverse of outer tepals with prominent subapical ridge. Filaments 6-8 mm long, exserted ± 3 mm; anthers oblong, 3.5-4.0 mm long. Style 24-27 mm long, dividing between middle and slightly beyond anthers, branches ± 1.5(-2.0) mm long, divided for ± half their length Capsules ovoid, smooth, 5-6 mm long, with ± 4 seeds per locule. Seeds ± 3.5 mm long.
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