Plants tufted, to c. 1.2 m high. Roots tuberous, tubers to c. 2 cm long, 3–5 cm from rootstock; base of plant sheathed by persistent leaf fibres. Leaves linear, flat or slightly channelled, 10–60 cm long, 1–10 mm wide. Inflorescence erect, usually branched. Flowers solitary in bract axils, deep pink or mauve, rarely blue, chocolate-scented, pedicels usually erect, to 35 mm long; perianth segments 6–14 mm long, spreading or slightly recurved, petals broader than sepals and with thin, undulate margins; stamens shorter than perianth segments, anthers purple, mostly with bright yellow appendages (but see note below). Capsule ovoid, c. 4–7 mm long. Seeds c. 2–3 mm long. Flowers mostly Oct.–Dec.
LoM, MuM, Wim, GleP, VVP, VRiv, MuF, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, GGr, DunT, NIS, EGL, EGU, WPro, HSF, HNF, OtR, Strz, HFE, VAlp. Also SA, NSW, Tas. Locally abundant, particularly in grassy plains and woodlands, throughout much of the State, but rare in the mallee (Little Desert only), and absent from the alps and the far east beyond Bairnsdale area.
A variant, differing from the typical in having pedicels bent from the axis at right angles or slightly deflexed, stamen filaments curiously inflexed around the ovary and purple rather than yellow anther appendages, appears to be confined to the north-east in the Chiltern-Benalla district (Mt Pilot, Moyhu etc.). Its taxonomic status is under investigation.
