A monocotyledonous flowering plant. Leaves linear, 4-10(-20) cm, 2-5 mm wide at middle, veins 7-12(-18). Scapes numerous, 25(-30) cm, 4- or 5-ribbed; sheath 3-5 cm; receptacle usually densely villous; heads straw-colored, subglobose, 3-5 × 4-5 mm; involucral bracts straw-colored, orbicular to obovate, 2-2.5 × 1.5-1.8 mm, glabrescent; floral bracts obovate to narrowly so, abaxially white clavate hairy toward apex. Male flowers: sepals spathelike, 1.8-2.5 mm, ± pubescent abaxially and at 3-lobed apex; petals 3, ± subulate, subequal, white clavate hairy at apex, gland black; stamens 6, anthers black. Female flowers: sepals 1.8--2.5 mm, abaxially white clavate hairy toward apex, basally connate, apex 3-lobed; petals 3, free, flat, clavate, fleshy, adaxially villous, gland black; ovary 3-loculed; style 3-cleft. Seeds subglobose, 0.8-1 mm; testa reticulate, prickles T-shaped.

Flora of China

Used to treat red, swollen eyes, spots in front of the eyes, or pterygium; clears corneal opacity.

Jing-Nuan Wu. An Illustrated Chinese Materia Medica. P: 290, Oxford University Press, Inc.2005.