Description: Large perennials with annual leaves and flowers; corm depressed-globose, tunic thinly netted fibres.
Leaves basal and cauline, distichous, equitant, sword-shaped, flat, glabrous. Scape erect, robust; spikes distichous or secund, simple or branched, many-flowered; spathe bracts usually shorter than slenderest portion of perianth tube, membranous, brownish; spathes 1-flowered.
Flowers spreading, zygomorphic. Perianth red to orange, sometimes yellow; tube narrow at base, abruptly widened into a long curved cylindrical portion; lobes shorter than tube, unequal, 2-lipped with upper lobe longer than the other 5 and hooded. Stamens ± equal to longest lobe; anthers grouped to 1 side of style. Style filiform; branches entire, slender, recurved.
Capsule depressed globose, exceeded by bracts; seeds few, globose.
Distribution and occurrence: World: 7 species, tropical & southern Africa. Australia: 1 species (naturalized).
Text by T. A. James & E. A. Brown
Taxon concept:
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