Babiana brachystachys (Baker) G.J.Lewis

Plants 200-300 mm high. Stem mostly underground or very short, often branched, sheathed by long-hairy to somewhat cobwebby cataphylls. Leaves leathery, linear to ± terete with longitudinal grooves, smooth, sheaths ciliate on margins, cobwebby below. Spike horizontal, 5-to 10-flowered; bracts green, drying brown at tips, smooth, 22-35 mm long, inner ± as long as outer, forked in upper 1/3. Flowers weakly zygomorphic, pale pink, lower tepals with red triangular marks on lower midline, darker pink outside, odourless; perianth tube cylindric, 70-75 mm long, slightly curved toward apex; tepals subequal, spreading at right angles to tube, 16-24 mm long. Stamens unilateral; filaments 4-5 mm long; anthers ± 5 mm long. Ovary smooth; style dividing opposite anther apices, branches ± 2.5 mm long.