Plants (50-)60-150(-200) mm high. Corm conical-globose, 7-15 mm diam.; tunics of moderately fine-textured or wiry fibres forming flattened claws at base, extending in a papery or fibrous neck. Stem ± strongly deflexed above uppermost sheath, usually unbranched, rarely with 1 branch from near base. Leaves 4 to 8, linear-lanceolate, suberect or trailing, usually ± as long as stem, blade 50-100 x 1.5-4.0(-5.0) mm wide, acute to acuminate, loosely or tightly spirally twisted, margins plane or closely undulate or crisped, main vein moderately thickened, margins slightly thickened, cauline leaf membranous, bract-like, sheathing, concealed by uppermost foliage leaf. Spike inclined, moderately lax, 2-to 6-flowered; bracts dry-membranous, translucent flushed brown and speckled in upper 1/2, outer 6-9 mm long, minutely 3-toothed or irregularly toothed, inner ± as long, shortly bifid. Flowers zygomorphic, orange to reddish orange with yellow throat and yellow spot on lower tepals surrounding callus; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 10-16 mm long, lower cylindric portion 3-7 mm long, widening up to ± 8 mm diam.; tepals obovate, dorsal larger and slightly hooded over anthers, often paler inside, upper laterals spreading and lower tepals deflexed, upper tepals 15-10(-22) x (7-)8-12(-15) mm, lower tepals 11-14 x 5-9 mm, each with a quadrate or truncate yellow callus 3-4 mm high near base. Filaments unilateral, arcuate, 12-18 mm long, exserted up to 6 mm; anthers 4-5 mm long, often curved, exserted, violet. Style dividing opposite base to middle of anthers, branches 3-4 mm long. Capsules obovoid, ± 10 mm long.
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