Rhizome up to 30 cm. diam., ± globose, mostly below soil surface, at first lateral but always finally terminal on host root; fleshy and ± starchy within, surface dark brown, without lvs but covered with hard angular papillae; shoots ∞, unbranched, to 20 cm. long, c. 1 cm. diam., covered with brownish sessile imbricating scale lvs; lamina 5-15 mm. long tapering from base 5 mm. wide, entire, subacute, glab., larger, more membr, and redder above. Infl. a capitulum of 15-20 spadices on flat top of lfy shoot, 2-4 cm. diam. including involucre of scale lvs; spadix-axis erect, 2-2.5 cm. long, ± grooved, fls crowded on upper ⅔, more scattered and sts with bracts in lower ⅓; ♂ us. of single almost sessile stamen with 2 filamentous per.-segs, pollen whitish, abundant; ♀ with 2 us. unequal per.-segs, style > ovary. Fr. to 2 mm. long, red-brown.