Medium to tall plant to 1.2 metres. Leaves 2 to 4 in number, grooved, subcylindrical, hollow and sheathing the lower half of the stem. Spathe 1 valved, beaked, shorter than the umbel, soon falling. Flowers pink to red or greenish white, bell shaped, 2 to 4.5 mm long, long stalked in lax umbel, often mixed with bulbils, stamens generally more or less protruding.

Dry grassy or rocky habitats.

Flowering June to August.

Perennial.

Widespread in England and Wales, more local elsewhere in Britain.

Infrequent and local in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 9 of the 617 tetrads.