Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Plants in dense spheric clusters, flowering to 15 cm diam.

Stems: Stems short.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. 4–10, 2-ranked. Blades subulate, terete (cylindrical) distally, succulent. recurving, 6–12 × 0.2–0.3 cm. Apex acute to attenuate. Surfaces gray, densely pruinose–scaly; sheath pale, elliptic, not inflated, not forming pseudobulb, 4–8 mm wide. Margins involute to nearly tubular. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in inflorescences usually of two flowers, scape conspicuous, erect, 2–5 cm, ± 1 mm diam.; bracts 1–2, widely spaced, erect, inconspicuous, nearly foliaceous; sheath of bracts narrowing gradually into blade; spikes ascending, subpalmate, elliptic, compressed, 8–15 × 4–6 mm, apex acute; lateral branches absent. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Sepals free, lanceolate, not keeled, 6–8 mm, thin, veined, apex acute, surfaces glabrous. Corolla tubular; petals spreading toward apex, violet, elliptic, 0.7–1 cm. Stamens 6, in 2 series of 3; stamens included. Ovary superior; stigma included, simple–erect.

Fruit: Fruits to 3 cm. Seeds with basal; white; plumose appendage.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range: 0–1500 m.