main stem underground, throwing up densely leafy simple or branched decumbent glabrous shoots up to 2 ft. long with usually clustered or approximate flower-heads at their bases, rarely higher up; leaves spreading horizontally, 1–2 1/2 in. long, 1/2–1 1/2 in. broad at the widest part, ovate or lanceolate-ovate, acute, more or less amplexicaul at the base, distinctly palmately 5–8-veined, glabrous, with undulating often red margins; heads lateral, suddenly contracted into a short scaly stipes or peduncle, 2 in. long, about 2 in. in diam.; young heads spherical, becoming ovoid with age; involucral bracts 10–12-seriate, more or less finely pubescent to (the inner) densely tomentose, indumentum rufous; outer ovate, obtuse; inner oblong to spathulate or obovate-oblong, spreading in the adult head; perianth-sheath 7 lin. long, broad and much dilated, 3-keeled and 5–7-nerved below, glabrous; lip 2 1/2 lin. long, 3-toothed, glabrous; teeth subequal 1/3 lin. long; filaments 1/4 lin. long, swollen; anthers oblong-linear, 1 3/4 lin. long; apical glands 1/4 lin. long, ovate, subacute; ovary 1 3/4 lin. long, oblong, covered with long reddish-yellow hairs; style 9 lin. long, more or less falcate, somewhat thickened and widened at the base, then gradually tapering and subulate upwards, curved, glabrous; stigma 2 lin. long, subobtuse, gradually passing into the style; fruit bottle-shaped, 5 lin. long. null
