Herb 30–60 cm high. Corm 1–2.5 cm diam. Leaves 2 or 3, near basal, 20–100 cm long, 5–15 mm wide. Scape branched, the branches erect to divaricate; bracts 3–5 cm long. Spathes with brown scarious apices; outer spathe 3–4 cm long, inner 4–6 cm long. Flowers pink with yellow centre. Sepals and petals elliptic, with claws c. 2 mm long appressed to filament tube; sepals 1.3–2.3 cm long, petals slightly smaller. Filaments connate in tube 6–8 mm long, swollen and pubescent at base; anthers 2 mm long, erect, coherent. Ovary 5–10 mm long; style trifid above base of anthers, branches 1–2 mm long, deeply bifid; stigmas terminal, minute, projecting between dehisced anthers; style crests absent. Capsules c. 1.5 cm long, obtuse. Bulbils c. 2 mm long, usually produced in large clusters in leaf axils after flowering.
A serious weed of pastures, roadsides and disturbed ground, difficult to control and toxic to stock.
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