Pillansia templemannii L.Bolus

Plants 600-800(-1200) mm high. Corm relatively small, 15-25 mm diam., persistent; tunics of coarse, wiry fibres. Stem stout, angled or narrowly winged below, many-branched, branches ascending, smooth or warty; stem bracts small, ovate to lanceolate, dry, brown and papery. Leaves 4 or 5, lowermost longest, linear or strap-like, 45-120 x 6-10 mm, suberect or trailing, twisted, leathery and sclerotic, closely veined with main vein obscure, remaining leaves cauline, progressively smaller, upper 2 or 3 entirely sheathing, dry and dark reddish brown. Inflorescence multibranched, terminal branches ascending, 1-flowered, smooth or warty; bracts broadly to transversely ovate, 5-8 mm long, acute or apiculate, leathery and green below or entirely dark brown with narrow, membranous margins, inner ± as long as outer and similar in texture, multinerved and clasping ovary, both mucilaginous on inner surfaces. Flowers suberect or slightly nodding, cup-shaped, bright orange, unscented, firm-textured; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 5-7 mm long; tepals suberect below then spreading, obovate, subequal or inner slightly broader, 20-30 x 7-15(-20), obtuse, weakly cupped. Filaments erect or curved outward above, 8-10 mm long; anthers 7-8 mm long, yellow. Style dividing opposite anthers, branches 5-8 mm long, forked at tips or divided up to 1/3. Capsules subglobose to obovoid, woody, 12-20 x 10-12 mm. Seeds ± 8 mm long, reddish brown.