Leaves many in a dense rosette, 3-4 dm. long, exceeding the inflorescences, densely but obscurely brown-punctulate-lepidote; sheaths elliptic, 12 cm. long, purple or castaneous on the inside; blades ligulate, acute and apiculate, 25-35 mm. wide. Scapes several from the axils of the leaves, erect, 5 mm. thick, glabrous. Scape-bracts distichous, imbricate, broadly elliptic, acute, incurved, carinate, 2-4 cm. long with the smallest below, glabrous, even, subcoriaceous, bright red. Inflorescences simple, lanceolate, acute, strongly complanate, 9-to 12-flowered, 14 cm. long, 4-6 cm. wide, glabrous. Floral bracts like the scape-bracts, densely imbricate, 5 cm. long, 4 cm. wide, much exceeding the sepals, sharply carinate. Flowers subsessile. Sepals narrowly elliptic, obtuse, to 36 mm. long and 10 mm. wide, submembranaceous, glabrous outside, punctulate-lepidote inside, free. Petals ligulate, acute, 7 cm. long, erect, blue. Stamens slightly exserted. Ovary slenderly conic.
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