Plants 500-1200 mm high, often forming clumps. Corm depressed-globose, 30-50 mm diam.; tunics coarsely netted. Stem usually simple, or with 1 to 3 branches. Leaves 4 to 6, lower 3 or 4 basal, uppermost partly or entirely sheathing stem, ± half as long as spike, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, (7-)12-18 mm wide, midrib and margins moderately thickened and hyaline; bract-like cauline leaves several, sheathing. Spike (20)25-to 35-flowered; bracts green or often partly reddish, dry and brown apically, (19-)23-33(-40) mm long, inner 2/3 to ± as long, greenish and completely enclosed, obtuse to barely bilobed. Flowers zygomorphic, bright orange to orange-red; perianth tube with lower part 17-25 mm long, included or shortly emerging from bracts, upper part ascending to horizontal, subcylindric, 18-25 mm long, ± 6 mm diam. at mouth, usually with longitudinal ridges between filament bases; tepals lanceolate, 20-26 x 9-15 mm, all widely spreading or dorsal somewhat hooded. Filaments unilateral, arcuate, 30-40 mm long, well exserted from tube; anthers 7-11 mm long, violet to cream-coloured. Style dividing near middle of anthers, branches ± 7 mm long. Capsules globose to narrowly obovoid, 10-12 mm long. Seeds elongate, 7-10 mm long, shortly 2-winged.
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Perennial herb, geophyte, 0.45-1.20 m high; corm depressed-globose, tunics grey-brown, coarsely reticulate; stem simple or rarely 1-3-branched. Leaves ensiform, 10-18 mm wide, margins and midribs usually thickened and hyaline. Bracts green, becoming reddish, inner obtuse or barely bilobed. Inflorescence an elongate spike; flowers scarlet to orange; perianth tube cylindric above, 35-50 mm long; tepals lanceolate, 20-26 mm long. Stamens unilateral, arcuate below upper tepal; anthers 7-11 mm long, usually contiguous, violet to cream-coloured. Ovary oblong; style arching over filaments. Flowering time July-May. Capsule globose to narrowly obovoid.
Cormous geophyte, 50-120 cm. Leaves sword-shaped. Flowers scarlet, tube elongate. Capsules obovoid.
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