Babiana petiolata Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants acaulescent, up to 50 mm high, including leaves. Corm with fibrous, netted tunics. Stem reaching to ground level, smooth, simple or 1-or 2-branched, without collar of fibres around base, with small cormlets at first node above corm. Leaves lanceolate to sword-shaped, shallowly pleated, lightly papillate-scabrid to virtually smooth, usually with terete pseudopetiole 5-40 mm long, blades arching forward and concave with margins facing toward ground and often thickened. Spike decumbent, 4-to 6-flowered; bracts 15-20 mm long, keeled above and sparsely hairy on keel and margins, obtuse, with broad membranous margins, divided to base. Flowers zygomorphic, violet, lower tepals with pale yellow markings reddish proximally, with light iris-like scent; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, ± 11 mm long, lower cylindric part ± 7 mm long; tepals unequal, dorsal held slightly apart, ± 30 x 8 mm, upper laterals smaller, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for ± 5 mm and to one another for ± 3 mm, lower median narrowed below into channelled claw. Stamens unilateral; filaments arcuate, ± 12 mm long; anthers ± 6 mm long, light violet; pollen cream-coloured. Ovary smooth, ± 4 mm long; style arching over stamens, dividing opposite anther apices, branches ± 5 mm long, expanded at tips.