Plants 40–60 cm high. Corms c. 15 mm in diameter at the base; tunics light-brown, coriaceous with a reticulate surface, the outer layers decaying to become coarsely fibrous. Foliage leaves 4–6, the lowermost inserted near ground level and larger than the rest, usually slightly exceeding the inflorescence, the upper ones progressively smaller above, 3–5 mm wide near the midline, narrowly linear-lanceolate, the midribs prominent. Stems compressed and 2-angled to winged below, 3-angled and lightly winged above the branches. Inflorescence a branched spike or pseudopanicle, the main axis more or less straight and dominant, the major branches forming spikes of 5–9 flowers, the flowers often apically crowded on an axis (1)1.5–2 internodes in length, with the bracts overlapping; the outer bracts 5–7 mm long, green at anthesis, becoming dry and scarious later, and then either pale throughout or brownish above and pale below with brown nerves, the inner bracts about as long as or slightly shorter than the outer. Flowers zygomorphic, either blue to violet or greenish-cream, the lower tepals each with a purple to red and white hastate median streak in the distal half; perianth tube (15)20–25 mm long, cylindric, slightly expanded in the upper 4 mm; tepals subequal, 8–10 × 3 mm, lanceolate, spreading at right angles to the perianth tube and lying in more or less the same plane, the dorsal tepal held apart. Stamens unilateral; filaments exserted 2.5–3 mm; anthers 3.5 mm long. Style dividing opposite the upper third of the anthers; style branches c. 2 mm long, forked for about half their length. Capsules c. 5 mm in diameter.
