leaves 3/4–1 1/3 in. long, 1–1 1/2 lin. broad at the base, subulate, tapering to a fine point, flat on the face, very convex on the back; scape solitary, 5 1/2–14 in. long, 1/2 lin. thick, 5-angled, striate in the dried state; basal sheath 1–1 1/2 in. long, 2-lobed at the top; flower-heads subglobose, 3–3 1/2 lin. diam., monœcious; lower flowers female, upper male; involucral bracts small, 1/2–1 lin. long, 1/2– 2/3 lin. broad, obovate, obtuse, concave, glabrous, pallid; flowering bracts 1–1 1/4 lin. long, the outer ones 3/4–1 lin. broad, the inner narrower, spathulate-obovate, obtuse or acute, concave, scarcely or very obtusely keeled on the back, the apical part blackish-green, or dark olive-green, with a tuft of white hairs; receptacle villous, with fine hairs, half as long as the flowers; female flowers subsessile, or very shortly pedicellate; sepals 3, free, about 1 1/4 lin. long, boat-shaped, acute, keeled, dark olive-green, with white hairs at the apex; margins ciliate with rather long hairs at the base; keel subacute; stipes between the sepals and petals exceedingly short, 1/5– 1/4 the length of the ovary; petals 3, free, 1–1 1/4 lin. long, less than 1/4 lin. broad, cuneate-linear, acute, ciliate at the apex, white, with a linear black gland a little below the apex; ovary trigonous, glabrous; style with 3 filiform branches; male flowers with a short, stout pedicel; sepals 3, free or united into a 3-lobed tube, split open on one side, 3/4–1 lin. long, obovate, obtuse, or the lobes rounded, dark olive-green, with a tuft of white hairs at the apex; stipes between the sepals and petals very long, 1/2– 3/4 as long as the sepals; petals unequal, 1/3– 2/3 lin. long, oblong-lanceolate, or narrowly obovate, obtuse, ciliate at the apex, and sometimes hairy on the face, white, with a linear black gland at the middle or a little above it; stamens 6; anthers black. null
