a large bush, 6–8 ft. high; branches glabrous; leaves 2 1/4–3 1/2 in. long, 2–4 lin. broad, linear-oblanceolate or oblong, acute, attenuated at the base, with a distinct midrib, glabrous; head shortly stipitate, 5 in. long, about 2 1/2 in. in diam., stipes scaly; receptacle convex; paleæ ovate, acute; involucral bracts 14–18-seriate, very viscid, those of the stipes silky pubescent, the others glabrous, dark red to whitish-green with pinkish tips and margins, but usually rosy pink; outer ovate, subacuminate, subacute, ciliate; inner linear-oblong to broad-linear, subacuminate or acute, exceeding the whitish flowers; perianth-sheath 1 2/3 in. long, membranous, dilated, keeled and 7-nerved below, glabrous, excepting at the ciliate base; lip 1 1/3 in. long, 3-awned, glabrous; lateral awns 3 1/4 lin. long, filiform, with a tuft of white hairs at their apices; median awn similar, 2 1/4 lin. long; stamens all fertile [sometimes the lower half of the anticous stamen is devoid of pollen]; filaments 1 lin. long, dilated; anthers linear, 1 in. long; apical glands 1 lin. long, linear; ovary 2 lin. long, obovate-oblong in outline, covered with long golden hairs; style 2–3 1/2 in. long, tapering above, furrowed, compressed, slightly swollen and deeply furrowed above the ovary, glabrous; stigma 1 in. long, furrowed. null
