Cormous geophyte up to 50cm. Stem branched and sticky. Leaves two to three, linear, channelled and trailing above. Flowers fairly large, yellow, rarely mauve, enclosed in fibrotic, acute spathes; tepals unequal, the outer larger, 20-30mm long, both inner and outer tepal limbs spreading.

Latin: bitumen = bitumen, asphalt; referring to the very sticky stem of this species.