Habit: Perennial herb, rhizome short, stout, erect; roots long, cord-like.
Stem: scapose, erect, glaucous.
Leaf: basal, linear, grass-like, 30--100 cm, 1--2 cm wide +- folded, entire or with minute sharp teeth, glaucous.
Inflorescence: spike-like raceme, cylindric, flowers reflexed.
Flower: perianth parts petal-like, tube 25--45 mm, lobes 2--5 mm, rounded to acute; stamens (4 or)6, included to +- exserted, outer 3 shorter, anthers attached at middle; style 1, exserted, stigma small.
Seed: many.
Species In Genus: 60 species: tropical and southern Africa.
Etymology: (Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, 1704--1763, German botanist, professor of medicine, and author of a work of botanical illustrations)
Jepson eFlora Author: Dale W. McNeal
Index of California Plant Names (ICPN; linked via the Jepson Online Interchange)
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