Plants 2.5-23(-30) cm tall. Corm somewhat ovoid to globose, 7-27 mm diam., sometimes lightly fibrous distally, densely encircled by roots. Cataphylls membranous, dark brown distally, up to 30 mm long. Leaves 2-10, sheathing up to 30 mm, suberect to outspread, slightly arched, linear to broadly lanceolate, 30-175 x 1-27 mm, if broad then tapering evenly upwards, canaliculate proximally or up to ca. 2/3 of length, often carinate distally with obtuse midrib abaxially, dark to pale green, sometimes flushed beetroot-red proximally, firm-to rarely thin-textured, margin sometimes minutely papillate, occasionally reddish. Inflorescences 1 or 2 in flower at a time, 1-flowered, ca. as long as or exceeding leaves; scape 20-190 x 1.5-2.0 mm, subterete, pale green, pale pink or pale reddish brown; bract 1, filiform, non-clasping, 1-9(-30) x 0.2-1.0 mm, colourless. Flower pedicellate, stellate, pale to deep yellow, backed with pale green in outer whorl, sometimes reddish brown towards tips, contrasting colouring less marked in inner whorl, unscented; pedicel suberect at anthesis, deflexing to spreading somewhat in fruit, 15-112 x 1 mm, subterete, pale green to pale pink to reddish brown; tepals 6, oblong-lanceolate to elliptical, 5-16(-19) mm long, outer 2.0-5.5 mm wide, minutely mucronate, inner 1.7-5.0 mm wide. Stamens 6, suberect, rarely subequal or outer whorl slightly shorter than inner, yellow; filaments inserted on ovary rim, outer 1.0-2.0 mm long, inner 1.5-2.5 mm long, both whorls shorter than anthers; anthers narrowly oblong, latrorse, 2.5-6.5) x 1.0-1.5 mm, basal lobes up to 1.0 mm long; pollen yellow. Ovary narrowly to broadly obconical, 2-5 x 1.3-2.5 mm, predominantly 1-locular or sometimes partially 3-locular in proximal half; style 0.3-2.5 mm long, tapering upwards; stigma branches suberect to spreading, lanceolate, 2.5-6.0 x 0.7-1.7 mm, ca. shorter than to as long as stamens, yellow, sometimes with basal lobes up to ca. 1 mm long and spreading between filaments, densely papillose. Capsule narrowly to broadly obconical, 3-14 x 2-6 mm, dehiscence circumscissile. Seeds depressed ovoid, 0.45-0.62 x 0.37-0.54 mm; testa dark brown, of ca. 21 widely separated, longitudinal rows of hump-like projections, outline of anticlinal cell walls not evident. Flowering period: (June-)July-September(-November at high altitudes).
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