Plants consisting of leafy fans, close together on short, much branched rhizomes, joined by short stolons. Leaves (150–)550(–1160) mm × 3– 12 mm, the two surfaces similar; inclined to turn yellow where exposed to full sun; leaf bases pale redgreen; nerves many, median ones crowded to form pale midrib; margins often finely scabrid, leaf in transverse section convex lens-shaped, two rows of vascular bundles present, marginal vascular bundle present, sclerenchyma present on inside of leaf sheath. Peduncles long (2/3 the length of the inflorescence), but inflorescence short, usually not carrying flowers or fruits above leaves. Panicle narrow, but much branched, or sometimes simply branched; lower bracts long (50–410 mm), green, lanceolate, upper bracts narrow and pale brown, occurring singly; 1–6 flowers (often 2) per branch. Pedicels stout, 10–20(–28) mm long, glabrous. Flower bud sometimes yellowish, usually much smaller than ovary, flowers 8–15(–25) mm diam.; tepals all white internally, widely patent; outer tepals about ½ length of inner tepals and narrower, elliptical, flattened, with apiculus; inner tepals orbicular-elliptical, shortly unguiculate, not usually covering outer tepals, slight cleft at tips. Staminal filaments very shortly connate; anthers c. 2 mm long, yellow, pollen sacs broad, connective narrow; pollen ellipsoidal, monosulcate, 41.8–53.2 × 26.6–39.9 µm. Ovary pale, larger than perianth bud; style branches sometimes slightly winged, usually pointing outwards. Capsule (7–)15–25 mm long, 5–14 mm diam., barrel-shaped, ripening from green to yellow to black, partially dehiscing by short loculicidal splitting; old valves pale and not widely patent. Seeds 1–2 × 1–1.5 mm, rounded or occasionally angular, reticulate-foveolate, bright tangerine orange. Chromosome number: 2n = 12x = 228 (Blanchon et al. 2000a). FL Sep–Dec; FR Jan–Dec.

2n = 12x [c. 228]

n = 114

n = 114

2n = 228

Lfy fans closely bunched on short erect rhizomes; stolons known in only one geographically restricted form. Lvs (15)–50–(80) cm. × 5–15 mm., the two surfaces similar; inclined to turn yellow where exposed to full sun; nerves ∞, the median ones us. crowded and thickened, sts conspicuously light-coloured. Peduncles short, us. not carrying fls or frs above lvs. Panicle narrow, much but us. closely branched; upper bracts pale, often ½ pedicel-length. Pedicels rather stout, mostly < 2 cm. long. In fl.-bud per. sts yellowish, = or < ovary. Fls 1–1.5–2–(2.5) cm. diam.; tepals all white internally, widely patent; outer about half length of inner, and much narrower; inner us. orbicular to ovate, shortly unguiculate, incompletely overlapping outer. Staminal filaments very shortly connate; anthers c. 2 mm. long, pale. Ovary pale, ± trigonous and flat-sided, large for size of per.; style-branches distinctly winged, us. pointing outwards. Capsule to 1.5 cm. diam. but often less, globose to oblong in outline, yellow when full grown and remaining so for some months before dehiscing by short loculicidal clefts; old valves pale and not widely patent. Seed c. 2 × 1.5 mm., rounded, reticulate-patterned, yellow. n = 114.