A rhizomatous, perennial, erect, robust herb, up to 3.5 m tall. Rhizome branching horizontally, up to 60 cm long and 10 cm in diameter, with fleshy segments resembling corms, covered with scale leaves, and thick fibrous roots. Leaves arranged spirally with large open sheaths, sometimes shortly petiolate; blade narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptical, up to 60 cm 15—27 cm, entire, base rounded to cuneate, gradually attenuate to the sheath, apex acuminate, midrib prominent, underside often slightly purplish. Inflorescence terminal, racemose, usually simple but sometimes branched, bearing single or paired, irregular, bisexual flowers; bracts broadly obovate, 1—2 cm 1 cm; sepals 3, ovate, acute, 1—1.5 cm 0.4—0.9 cm; corolla 4—5 cm long, the lowermost 1 cm fused into a tube, lobes free; lobes 3, linear, 3—4 cm 0.3—0.6 cm, pale red to yellow. Fruit a loculicidally dehiscent ovoid capsule, 3 cm 2.5 cm, outside with soft spines. Seeds are numerous, globose, 0.5 cm in diameter, smooth and hard, blackish to very dark brown. |
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