Bobartia filiformis Ker Gawl.

Plants 150-550 mm high, usually solitary or forming small tufts. Rhizome compact and corm-like, 5-10 mm diam. Stem consisting of basal internode only, subterete to linear and elliptic in section, 0.5-1.5 mm diam., striate when dry but without stomatiferous furrows. Foliage leaves 2 to 6 in a basal tuft, shorter than flowering stem, linear or subterete, often twisted, 0.5-2.0 mm wide, striate. Rhipidia 1 (rarely 2 or 3), subtended by erect, leaf-like bract, usually shorter than rhipidia, 15-65 mm long; spathes grey-green, outer 7-16 mm long, inner 25-45 mm long; pedicels subglabrous or sparsely pubescent. Flowers yellow, sometimes speckled near base, often flushed reddish on reverse; tepals free or connate at base, elliptic, outer 17-26 x 8-13 mm, inner slightly smaller. Filaments 3.5-6.0 mm long; anthers ± 6 mm long. Ovary shortly exserted, smooth; style 1.5-3.0 mm long, branches 4-6 mm long. Capsules broadly obovoid, smooth, 8-12 mm long.