2n = 70

Plant diffuse, with lateral shoots developing in leaf axils at all levels. Leaves c. 15—50 cm × 5-10 mm; sheath with long narrow scales; lamina ± folded about the strong keel, brownish adaxially with obvious pellicle, pale abaxially with scales and thickly felted wool; nerves only 3-6 on each side of midrib. Peduncle to c. 5 cm × 3—5 mm; panicle narrow, little longer than peduncle, the spathes narrower than the leaves; racemes few, simple, not tightly congested. Flowers pedicellate, few, ♂ maroon, ♀ greenish, outer tepals to 5 × 2 mm, spreading and ± recurved, the basal part becoming orange and fleshy in fruit. Fruit narrow-ovoid, c. 7-9 × 4-6 mm, bright orange.

Subgenus Tricella—Planta graminea, diffusa propter innovationes numerosissimas, foliorum fasciculis singularibus vix manifestis; folia vaide carinata, angustissima, supra brunnescentia, pellicula tenui separabili obtecta, subtus pallida, squamis appressis et lana copiosa praedita, nervis crassioribus utroque latere costae medianae 3—5—(6); vagina longissime squamosa; infloresccntia inter folia ± abscondita; panicula spathaeque angustae; racemi simplices, flores pauci, pedicellati, vix congesti; ovarium baccaque anguste lageniforme, longitudine saltern dimidio majus quam latitudine; fructus aureus.

Colonies evenly lfy without obvious tufts, lateral shoots developing freely and not restricted to subfloral lf-axils. Stem c. 1 cm. diam. Lvs c. 15–50 cm. × 5–10 mm., strongly keeled and us. drying folded; sheath closely covered with long narrow scales; lamina brownish adaxially with persistent detachable pellicle; abaxial surface pale buff and thickly felted between and often over the 3–5–(6) main nerves on each side of midrib. Infl. to c. 8–(12) cm. long, narrow; spathes narrower than lvs; racemes few, simple, not tightly congested; fls few, often < 12 per raceme. Perianth pinkish; tepals to 5 × 2 mm., spreading and ± recurved, the tube becoming orange and fleshy in fr. Ovary 3-locular, elongate. Fr. narrow-ovoid, c. 7–9 × 4–6 mm., bright orange.