Primary root short-lived; adventitious roots ∞, cord-like, from stout erect unbranched subterranean stem; stem-hairs brown. Rosettes us. flat, up to 20 cm. diam.; lvs of firm texture, 3-10 × 1-2.5 cm.; lamina elliptic to spathulate, gradually narrowed into broad flat petiole; tip quite obtuse, margin almost entire, distantly toothed, or with small rounded pinnate lobes; lf-hairs short and stiff, sts only near margins or in transverse patches or lines on upper surface associated with teeth, us. absent on undersurface or confined there to midrib (occ. over whole undersurface); two lateral veins us. obvious at least in lower half of lamina. Scape 3-12-(22) cm. long, terete, covered with short appressed hairs. Spike up to 3 cm. long, us. dense, many-fld and much longer than wide but occ. reduced to 2-3 fls. Bracts c. 3 mm. long, ovate, subacute, keel wide and ill-defined, ± hoary with short white hairs, as is also margin; sepals c. 3 mm. long, ovate, subacute, pale and membr., keel well-developed and bearing short white hairs, margin fringed or ciliate at apex. Corolla-tube short, lobes broad-ovate, 2 × 1·5 mm.; anthers large, to 1·75 mm. long with membr. tip; ovules 4; capsule > calyx, broad above; seeds to 2 mm. long, all reaching to top of capsule.

2n = 48

n = 24

n = 24

2n = 48

Primary root usually short-lived, sometimes taproot persisting; adventitious roots usually numerous, sometimes 0. Stem simple, ± subterranean, to 2 cm diam., stout, erect, with brown hairs at apex. Lvs radical, in usually flat rosettes; petiole broad, flat. Lamina 1-7-(11) × 0.3-2.7-(4) cm, elliptic to spathulate or oblanceolate, submembranous or subcoriaceous; main veins 3; margin almost entire or distantly toothed, sometimes with small rounded pinnate lobes; lf hairs short and stiff, few to many, sometimes confined to margins or in transverse lines or patches on upper surface, usually 0 on undersurface or confined to midrib, occasionally over whole undersurface; base attenuate; apex obtuse or subacute. Scape 3-12-(22) cm long, covered with short appressed hairs. Spike to 3 cm long, usually dense, (2)-many-flowered and much longer than wide. Bracts 2.5-3.5-(4) mm long, ovate; keel dark, wide, ill-defined and mostly ± hoary with short white hairs; margins membranous and sometimes hoary. Sepals c. 3 mm long, ovate, pale and membranous except for the dark, well-developed, white-hairy keel; margins glabrous or sometimes ciliate, especially at apex. Corolla tube short; lobes 1.5-2 × c. 1.3 mm, broad-ovate. Capsule c. 3-(4) mm long, broad-ellipsoid to almost rhomboid. Seeds (2)-4, 1-2-(3) mm long, ± uniform, narrow.