Plants 180-300 mm high, with collar of tough fibres around base. Corm 15-25 mm diam., without cormlets at base; tunics of brown to ± black, tough, medium to coarse fibres. Stem simple or 1(2)-branched exceptionally with up to 6 branches, sheathing leaves with dry attenuate tips, (30-)40-55 mm long. Foliage leaf solitary, linear(-linear-filiform), channelled, usually V-shaped in section, leaf halves closely appressed in dry conditions, 1.5-3.0 mm wide (opened flat), erect or trailing distally. Rhipidial spathes with attenuate, dry tips, inner (40-)50-80 mm long, outer ± half as long. Flowers long-lived, pale blue, mauve or violet blue, outer tepal limbs with large white, velvety nectar guides dotted and usually edged with dark violet at bases, lanceolate, half reflexed; outer tepals (20-)26-34 x 10-16 mm, claws (8-)10-12 mm long, usually speckled with dark blue to violet dots or purple in midline; inner tepals linear, (8-)10-15 mm long, ascending below, distal 1/3-1/2 usually spreading (± erect when short). Filaments (3-)4-6 mm long, united basally for 0.5-1.8 mm; anthers 4-8 mm long, violet; pollen red (rarely white). Ovary ellipsoid, 11-15 mm long; style branches 8-10 mm long, crests 5-8 mm long, linear. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, 14-16 mm long. Seeds angular, 1.8-2.0 mm long, light brown, testa spongy, thickened on angles.
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