n = 22

n = 22

2n = 44

n = 22

2n = 36

n = 22

2n = 44

Robust, evergreen, perennial herb with short rhizomes and fleshy roots; rhizomes up to 3 cm diam., internodes short, leaf bases fibrous. Leaves 20–100 × 3–5 cm, narrow-lanceolate to narrow-elliptic, glabrous, spreading, fleshy, green, apex acute, margins entire, base cuneate and grading into petiole; petiole up to 20 mm wide, channelled, midrib raised on abaxial surface, usually green on adaxial surface. Inflorescence a panicle, up to 1.0 m long, exceeding leaves, spreading to upright; peduncle 5– 10 mm diam. at base; lateral branches 32–160 mm long, 1.0–3.0 mm diam., decreasing in size distally, spreading; peduncle lateral branches subtended by a leafy bract, bracts 10–130 × 3–25 mm, decreasing in size distally, lower bracts sheathing the peduncle, patent to recurved, upper bracts recurved to recoiled. Flowers solitary or in fascicles of 2–4 per node, each subtended by a bract. Flower bracts 6.2–7.8 × 2.0– 4.5 mm, recurved to recoiled, green to red-purple, becoming chartaceous in fruit; undivided, apex acute to subacute. Pedicel 20–24 mm long, 1.0 mm diam. at proximal end, 3.0 mm diam. at distal end; articulated, upper part tepal-like, white, often flushed redpurple, lower part pedicel-like, green, sometimes flushed red-purple. Tepals 6, in whorls of 3, free. Sepals 13–19 × 3.5–6.0 mm, lanceolate, white but often flushed red-purple on abaxial surface, apex 1.0 mm long, acute, acuminate or apiculate, margin entire. Petals 17–18 × 5–10 mm, obovate to oval, white, apex obtuse to subacute, margin finely denticulate and sometimes undulate. Filaments 4.0– 9.2 mm long, 0.4–0.5 mm diam., white. Staminal appendages 5.5–9.0 mm long; 3.5–5.0 mm adnate to filament, mauve or purple; free portion 2.0–3.6 mmlong, yellow, curled; hairs 0.3–0.7 mm long, multicelled. Anthers 2.0–3.3 mm long, oblong, cream-yellow, sometimes flushed pale maroon, dehiscing longitudinally. Ovary 4.0–5.0 × c. 2.0 mm, pale yellow-green; style 6.0–9.3 mm long, c. 0.3 mm diam., white; stigma c. 0.5 mm diam, papillae <0.2 mm long. Capsule (8–)12–14 × 5.5–9.5 mm, cylindrical, ovoid or obovoid, green and sometimes flushed red, style base persistent; dehiscent when mature; perianth persistent and becoming chartaceous, later deciduous. Seeds 1.3–2.5 mm diam., black, papillate, usually with two flattened lateral faces and the abaxial surface curved, sometimes angular; funicle comprising 5–8 elastic helical coils at capsule dehiscence.

Robust evergreen plants us. forming extensive colonies. Rhizome half-woody, 1–2 cm. diam., with very short internodes. Lvs 30–60 × 3–10 cm., narrow-lanceolate, subfleshy; veins ∞, fine, subequal; sheath short to long. Infl. exceeding lvs; peduncle stiff, c. = panicle; panicle broad with strong laterals, occ. again branched; main bracts green and lflike. Fls mostly in uneven-aged groups of 2–3; pedicels c. 2 cm. long, white above the joint. Per. c. 2–4 cm. diam., white; outer tepals narrow, inner of thinner texture, broader, obtuse with slightly erose margins. Stamens &lt; tepals; anther-tails purplish at the top, white in the middle and golden yellow at the free curled ends. Capsule c. 8 × 6 mm., shallowly sulcate with rounded valves, dehiscing widely. Seeds c. 12 in each locule, c. 2 mm. long, black with a surface pattern of flat-topped papillae. 2n = 22.