plant very likely acaulis, flowering to 60 cm high. leaves ca 50 cm long, underneath with grey appressed scales with dense dark centres; sheath elliptic, 10 cm long, lepidote on the upper side; blade ligulate, acuminate, 3 cm wide, upper side glabrous. inflorescence: peduncle erect, slender; peduncle bracts sub-foliate, densely imbricate; fertile part laxly once-branched panicle, 26 cm long, glabrous; primary bracts wide ovate, shorter than the spikes, lower ones with linear blades spikes divergent, sessile, linear-lanceolate, 8.5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, complanate; floral bracts ovate, acute, 25 mm long, carinate, rigid, smooth and polished. flowers: sepals linear, acute, 22 mm long, enclosed by the floral bracts, adaxial pair carinate, high connate.Edited from : Annals of Missouri Bot. Garden, Vol 73, 714-5,. (1986)