Rhizomatous perennials forming large colonies. Rhizome long, the new shoots placed fairly far apart, roots typical. Leaves rosulate, numerous, up to 15 or more, usually in fascicles of 3, erect to somewhat spreading, half folded, narrowly linear, up to ± 350 X 10-20 mm, hard and rough in texture (epidermis minutely papil­late), mottled with light and dark irregular horizontal bands, margin red with a colourless membranous outer ridge. Inflorescence a simple, dense, many-flowered spike, exserted from leaf cluster, 0,35-0,75 m high; peduncle with some scattered, membranous bracts. Flowers in clus­ters, surrounded at the base by a membranous, ovate bract; pedicel ± 5 mm long. Perianth ± 50 mm long, variable in colour, white, purple or cream with purple margins; tube contracted be­low ovary for ± 4 mm, expanded and globose around ovary, narrowly cylindrical in upper half, ± 35 mm long; lobes, narrow, recurved, + 13 mm long. Stamens much exserted, erect; fila­ments filiform; anthers versatile, ± 3 mm l