Plants 0.5--1.5 m tall. Rhizome 1.5--5 × 0.8--1.5 cm. Stem 30--70 cm. Leaves 6--8; petiole 0.8--1.5 cm; leaf blade lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, 6--15 × 2--3 cm. Peduncle 16--75 cm. Outer tepals (3 or)4 or 5, usually recurved, purple-green or green, narrowly lanceolate, 2--4 cm × 4--9 mm; inner ones usually dark purple, filiform-linear, shorter than outer ones. Stamens usually 8 or 10; filaments 2--4 mm; anthers 0.6--1.8 cm; free portion of connective purple, 1.5--4 mm, acute-tipped. Ovary green or distally purple, conical-ovoid. Style 3--5 mm; stigma lobes (3 or)4--6. Capsule green at maturity, conical-ovoid. Seeds enveloped by red, succulent aril. Fl. Apr--May, fr. Sep--Oct. 2 n = 10*.