Bobartia gladiata Ker Gawl.

Plants 200-800 mm high, usually solitary or forming small tufts. Rhizome compact and corm-like, 10-25 mm diam. Stem formed by basal internode only, usually flattened and 2.5-8.0 mm wide, rarely subterete and 2-3 mm diam., striate when dry but without stomatiferous furrows. Foliage leaves 2 to 6 in a basal fan, usually ± as a long as and resembling stem. Rhipidia 3 to 12 alternating in laterally flattened cluster subtended by erect, leaf-like, rigid bract, 20-120 mm long; pedicels sparsely to densely pubescent distally; spathes with outer greyish green or purplish, ± keeled, 7-16 mm long, inner green, 25-65 mm long. Flowers yellow, tepals sometimes speckled near base, sometimes flushed reddish on reverse; tepals free or connate at base, elliptic, outer 22-34 x 10-17 mm, inner slightly smaller. Filaments 3.0-4.5 mm long; anthers ± 9 mm long. Ovary shortly exserted, smooth; style 2-3 mm long, branches 4.5-7.0 mm long. Capsules obovoid, smooth, 9-16 mm long.