Plants 5-30 cm tall. Roots tuberous, subglobose with a few adventitious roots. Leaves up to 12, linear, 5-30 cm long, strongly nerved, sparsely ciliate. Scapes 1-4, filiform, arising from the base of the leaves, 1-2-flowered; scape and the flowers ciliate. Bracts linear. Perianth segments 6, yellow, free, elliptic-lanceolate. Stamens 6, at the base of the perianth, shorter than the perianth segments; anthers sagittate. Style columnar with 3 stigmas. Fruit capsular, oblong; seeds black, finely tuberculate.

Fl.Per. July-August.

Type: Described from Cochin China.

Distribution: Himalayas, South East Asia, China, Japan.

An uncommon plant in our country; a widely distributed species reaching its westernmost limit in Pakistan.