Perennial herbs Bulbs globose 5 (-10) cm in diameter. Leaves appearing after flowers, linear-lanceolate, ensiform, 15-30 (-46) x 1-2.5 cm, scape to 60 cm. Flowers pale brown, very distant in laxly flowered 15-31 cm long racemes. Bracts minute deciduous. Pedicels 2.5-4 cm long. Perianth campanulate with 6 linear-oblong pale brown, white at margin segments. Stamens 6-7 mm, filaments flattened below, anthers versatile, yellow. Capsule ellipsoid, tapering at both ends 1.5-1.8 cm long, 6-9 seeded. Seed elliptic, flattened, black.

Fl.Per.: April-May.

Type: India, Coromandelia, Roxburgh s.n. (K).

Distribution: Myanmar, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya,Tanzania, Africa West to Mauritania and South to South Africa (Stedje, l.c. 1996).

The plant is medicinally important. It is used as a substitute for true squill, Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn.