Plants clump-forming, robust, up to 2 m tall. Rhizome horizontal with closely-spaced erect corm-like branches; roots slightly swollen. Leaves erect at first, usually becoming bent over, up to 2 m long, 1.5–5 cm wide, linear, keeled below, grooved above but with the surface of the leaf almost flat, sparsely serrulate on margins and midrib, tough, strongly ribbed when dry, dull green or glaucous. Peduncle up to 162 cm long, fairly stout. Raceme 6.5–28 cm long, moderately dense; bracts c. 7 mm long, sterile bracts up to c. 12 × 5 mm, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, subacute. Flowers orange to reddish-orange. Perianth c. 25 mm long, slightly constricted above the ovary, narrow funnel-shaped, straight. Stamens exserted by 5–10 mm at anthesis, remaining exserted; style eventually exserted for about 10 mm. Capsule 5.5–7 mm in length, subglobose, slightly pointed. Seeds c. 2 mm long, angular, with yellowish-brown wings.