Plants 900-1800 mm high. Corm depressed-globose, 30-50 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem with up to 4 short, suberect branches. Leaves 5 to 8, lower ± basal, uppermost leaf partly sheathing stem, ± 1/3 as long as spike, lanceolate, (15-)20-40 mm wide, midrib and margins lightly to moderately thickened and hyaline; bract-like cauline leaves 1 or 2, sheathing. Spike 25-to 40-flowered; bracts herbaceous and usually reddish, becoming dry and brownish above, 10-18(-25) mm long, acute to attenuate, inner 2/3 to as long, deeply forked apically for 3-6 mm. Flowers zygomorphic, pink or purple to orange-red or orange, sometimes with a paler tube and tepals, then darker on the reverse; perianth tube with lower part (20-)25-30 mm long, usually well exserted from bracts for up to 20 mm, upper part horizontal to drooping, subcylindric, ± 22-26 mm long, 6-8 mm diam. at mouth; tepals oblanceolate, 24-33 x 9-13 mm, all suberect and weakly cupped. Filaments unilateral, arcuate, 38-45 mm long, well exserted from tube; anthers 9-12 mm long, violet. Style dividing between upper 1/3 and apex of anthers, branches ± 4.5 mm long. Capsules obconic, tapering above, 18-20 x 5-6 mm. Seeds elongate-angular, 9-12 mm long, with well-developed distal wing and rudimentary proximal wing.
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Perennial herb, geophyte, 0.9-1.8 m high; corm depressed-globose, tunics grey-brown, coarsely reticulate; stem branched. Bracts usually reddish, inner forked. Leaves ensiform, margins and midveins thickened and hyaline. Inflorescence an elongate spike; flowers mostly orange to red, rarely pink or purple; perianth tube elongate, tubular above, 42-55 mm long; tepals lanceolate, 24-33 mm long. Stamens unilateral, arcuate; filaments 38-45 mm long; anthers 9-12 mm long, violet. Ovary oblong; style arching over filaments. Flowering time Sept.-Jan. Capsule ± obconic, tapering above.
Cormous geophyte to 2 m. Leaves sword-shaped. Flowers mostly orange to red, sometimes pink or purple, red or orange, tube elongate, bracts short. Capsules tapering.
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