Stemless, moderately robust, with stout roots. Leaves numerous, 3–4 in. long, 2–3 lin. broad, flat gradually tapering from the base to a very acute point, many-nerved, with the tessellate cross-veins very distinct in the basal part in the dried state, woolly in the sheathing part, otherwise glabrous. Peduncle solitary, twice as long as the leaves, 6-ribbed, glabrous; sheath 3 1/2 in. long, shortly oblique at the acute apex, glabrous. Heads 4 1/2 lin. in diam., hemispherical, unisexual in the 6 examples seen. Involucral-bracts about 2 lin. long, 1 lin. broad, obovate, acute, whitish, glabrous. Flowering-bracts 1 3/4–2 lin. long, 2/3– 3/4 lin. broad, cuneate-obovate, acute, concave, much incurved at the apex, very light straw-colour or faintly greenish-white, bearded with white hairs on the apical part. Receptacle pilose. Female flowers not seen. Male flowers pedicellate. Sepals 3, nearly equal, more or less connate at the base, 1–1 1/4 lin. long, 1/4– 1/2 lin. broad, obovate-oblong, obtuse, concave, entirely fuscous, bearded with white hairs at the apex. Petals separated from the sepals by a stipes of variable length, unequal, the largest 3/4–1 1/4 lin. long, oblong, oblanceolate or linear, and sometimes scarcely broader than the gland, white, densely bearded with white hairs, and with a linear black gland at the middle. Anthers black.
