Babiana praemorsa Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants 50-150 mm high. Stem short, suberect or decumbent, rarely reaching 20 mm above ground. Leaves several in a spreading fan, oblong-cuneate, abruptly truncate, pleated, minutely hairy, in a spreading fan; juvenile leaves linear, ± 1 mm wide, silky hairy. Spike congested, 5-to 6-flowered; bracts green, minutely hairy, outer 25-50 mm long, inner slightly shorter, forked apically, with acuminate tips. Flowers weakly zygomorphic, dark violet with white to cream-coloured spear-shaped marks often edged with red or dark blue on lower lateral tepals, unscented or rarely lightly sweet-scented; perianth tube 40-60 mm long, cylindric, straight; tepals subequal, spreading horizontally, mostly 18-22 x 3.5-5.0 mm. Stamens unilateral; filaments suberect, 8-9 mm long, exserted 4-5 mm; anthers 5-6 mm long, violet or yellow. Ovary smooth; style dividing opposite upper half of anthers or shortly beyond them, branches 2-3 mm long.