Tufted or tussock-forming herb. Leaves linear, often pungent, 20-60 cm long, 1-6 mm wide, biconvex to terete, grooved, glabrous, slightly glaucous to pruinose. Scape 4-25 cm long, glabrous, striate, clasped by 1 reduced leaf. Spathes lanceolate, 2.5-4.5 cm long, green to pale brown, similar to leaves in texture; margin scarious, usually dark brown. Involucre 5-9 mm wide; inner bracts enclosed. Tube 2.5-3.5 cm long, glabrous, slightly exserted. Sepals obovate to rhomboid, 1.2-2.3 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, pale violet to blue-violet; midveins thickened. Petals oblanceolate. Filaments 2-3 mm long, almost completely connate. Ovary glabrous. Capsule cylindrical, apiculate, 2.5-3 cm long. Seeds compressed-ovoid, c. 2.5 mm long, black; aril 1-2 mm long, white.
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