leaves numerous, densely rosulate, 2 (3) dm long; blade narrowly triangular, to 15 (20) mm wide, subdensely white-lepidote above, completely covered beneath, laxly serrulate; (small teeth; inner rosette leaves dark carmine-red) inflorescence capitate, compound, sunk in the center of the rosette; (almost always once-branched) primary bracts broadly triangular, covering few-flowered flat fascicles, subentire; (dark carmine red) floral bracts narrowly triangular, exceeded by the sepals, entire, laxly lepidote; (mostly longer than the sepals) sepals lanceolate, acute, 17 mm long, lepidote, the adaxial ones alate-carinate. flowers: petals 24 mm long, bearing 2 vase-shaped scales well above the base; (to 30 mm long with blunt spreading platte) ovary strongly-flattened; placentae subapical; ovules obtuse.Edited from : Smith & Read 1979b. (protologue) Orthophytum Burle-Marxii .