Babiana melanops Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants mostly 160-200 mm high. Stem velvety hairy, usually branched, suberect, strongly deflexed in fruit, sheathed below ground with thick collar of fibres. Leaves lanceolate, pleated, densely hairy, fairly softly textured. Spike erect, mostly 6-to 10-flowered; bracts green with dry rust-coloured tips, outer 16-26 mm long, inner slightly shorter, divided to base. Flowers actinomorphic, blue or pale mauve, tepals darker in lower 1/3, unscented or scented of lemon; perianth tube slender, 16-27 mm long, filiform below, slightly flared in upper 1/3; tepals subequal, spreading, narrowed and claw-like below, 20-27 mm long. Stamens symmetrically arranged; filaments erect, 8-9 mm long, blue; anthers arrow-shaped to linear, with connective expanded and widest at base, blackish to dark purple, sometimes partly turquoise, 7-8 mm long. Ovary densely hairy; style dividing just below anther bases.