Distinctive in its conspicuous, horizontally barred membranous sheaths enclosing the base of the glabrous scape, and producing a solitary, terete leaf. The flowers are ± rotate, with tepals connate at the base, and erect stamens with anthers dehiscing through apical slits reaching just below the middle of the thecae. The prominent, barred cataphylls recall those in sect. Sypharissa.
Plants deciduous, solitary. Bulb subglobose to pyriform, 20-30 mm diam., scales adherent, becoming papery and greyish, forming a distinct collar. Leaf hysteranthous, solitary, erect, filiform or terete, up to 200 x 0.5-1.0 mm, glabrous, leathery, basal sheaths of inner 1 or 2 leaves rolled and sheathing base of scape as membranous collar 10-50(-80) mm long, white or silvery with dark, thickened horizontal bars. Inflorescence a moderately dense raceme up to 250 mm tall, 10- to 30-flowered, flowers mostly 2-5 mm apart; scape 0.25-1.00 mm diam., glabrous; bracts ovate-deltoid, auriculate-denticulate, 1.0-1.5 mm long, spur to 0.5 mm long; pedicels suberect to spreading, 6-8(10) mm long at anthesis. Flowers diurnal, ± spreading or weakly nodding, rotate; tepals connate for 1.0-1.5 mm, outer lobes spreading, inner suberect, elliptic-oblong, 3.5-5.5 x 1.5-2.5 mm, apices penicillate or ciliate, whitish to pale yellow or brownish pink, with darker midrib. Filaments suberect around ovary, 1.0-1.7 mm long, subulate, white. Anthers erect, sub-basifixed, lanceolate, 2.0-2.5 mm long, thecae acute apically, obtuse basally, dehiscence through apical spits reaching just below middle of thecae. Ovary ovoid, ± 2 mm long, pale green; style columnar, 1.5 mm long, white; stigma trilete, smooth. Capsules and seeds unknown.
Distributed through the highlands of central and southern Namibia from Windhoek to Keetmanshoop and the western interior of South Africa along the drainage basin of the Orange River through Bushmanland and Griqualand West to Barkly West in Northern Cape.
