n = 35

Robust tufted plant. Lvs 100–250 × 3–4.5 cm., ascending in lower half, drooping in upper half, hardly coriaceous; margins revolute in age; just above sheath narrow, keeled and tightly folded; tip long-attenuate; sheath broad, clad on both surfaces in shining white, closely overlapping scales; lamina adaxially slightly bluish green and covered with a clear pellicle of fused scales that lifts off in long strips, abaxially white with appressed or ± cobwebby scales, the several nerves on each side of midrib subequal. Infl. at first erect, ultimately drooping, most parts covered with ± ruffled white scales; peduncle to 40 × 1 cm.; panicle to 50 cm. long; racemes ∞, all except the smallest spathes subtending sub-infls of 3 or more racemes. Fls pedicellate and us. well spaced; per. very pale greenish cream, divided almost to base; tepals to 5.5 × 2 mm., spreading widely and soon reflexed in ♂, in ♀ smaller and more erect. Ovary 3-locular; style short and thick. Fr. c. 8 × 6.5 mm., opaque, bright green, then whitish, most or all of surface becoming flushed with magenta on ripening, the base surrounded by flattened, dry, membr. brownish per. Seeds c. 1.8 × 1.1 mm., dull black, the surface composed of flat faces meeting along ± sharp edges, the funicular end very slightly ornamented. n = 35.