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Plants sometimes growing in dense clumps, 50–200 cm. Corms tunicate, depressed-globose, 30–45 mm diam.; tunic fibrous, fibers coarse, reticulate. Stems simple or 1–2-branched, often with large cormlets in proximal axils, occasionally also in distal axils of stem, spike. Leaves 4–6, basal leaves 3–4, blade lanceolate, 12–35 mm wide; cauline leaves smaller than basal, blade with margins and midribs hyaline, heavily thickened. Spikes 8–12(–25)-flowered; spathes often flushed with red, outer 18–30 mm, dry in distal 3–5 mm, inner slightly longer to slightly shorter than outer. Tepals orange, red, or purple, lanceolate, outer slightly narrower than inner, 22–27 × 8–15 mm; perianth tube proximally slender, 18–25 mm wide, abruptly expanded distally, 20–25 mm wide; filaments 35–45 mm; anthers 8–12 mm; ovary oblong, 3–4 mm; style branching opposite middle of anthers; branches 6–7 mm. Capsules 22–30 mm. Seeds prominently winged distally, weakly or not winged proximally, 10–18 mm.
Perennial herb to 1.2 m high. Corm 4–8 cm diam.; tunic of coarse rigid or netted fibres extended several cm above corm. Leaves ensiform to somewhat falcate, 20–80 cm long, 1–4.5 cm wide; midvein or 1–4 veins prominent; margins thickened. Spike unbranched or with few short branches, with or without clusters of cormils; flowers 2–4 cm apart. Bracts lanceolate to oblong or triangular, obtuse, 1.5–3.7 cm long, herbaceous with scarious brown to red-brown distal portion or membranous to scarious and reddish. Flowers brick red to dull pink. Perianth tube 3.2–5 cm long, slightly curved, somewhat narrowed at base, cylindrical above; lobes oblong to obovate to elliptic, obtuse to apiculate, 1.7–2.6 cm long, 1–1.3 cm wide. Stamens unilateral, arched on upper side of flower; anthers c. 10 mm long, cream to purple. Style usually slightly longer than perianth; branches 0.5–5 mm long, bifid. Capsules when produced ovoid, truncate, 3–4 cm long, blackish.
Robust clumps 75-100 cm high. Corm 4-8 cm diam.; tunic of tough parallel fibres. Leaves slightly < stems, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, narrow-ensiform, margins conspicuous, yellowish. Inflorescence simple or branched, ± ½ plant height; spathe-valves appressed to stem, upper half membranous, often red. Flowers 6-10 cm long, 3-5 cm diam., rose-red, salmon-pink, pinkish-cream tinged with green, or white, ± translucent; tube 4-6 cm long only gradually widened above; lobes spreading, ± 2-3 cm long. Capsule ± 2 cm long, very hard, apex flattened. Seeds to 1.5 cm long, flattened, winged.
Cormous geophyte, 0.6-1.5 m tall, sometimes with cormlets at the nodes. Leaves sword-shaped, with thickened margins. Flowers several, in a 2-ranked spike, red, pink or mauve, perianth tube elongate, broad and horizontal in the upper half. Capsules oblong in outline.
Cormous geophyte, 60-200 cm, sometimes with cormlets at nodes. Leaves sword-shaped. Flowers red, pink or mauve, tube elongate. Capsules oblong.
