Ferraria schaeferi Dinter

Plants 200-500 mm high. Stem sheathed by leaf bases, branching repeatedly in upper axils, branches rotated in clockwise spiral; corm bearing long runners from base, each terminating in a small corm. Leaves with overlapping sheaths; blades thick and leathery, thickened in midline and main vein usually evident, arranged in a two-ranked spiral, spreading horizontally above, 12-20 mm wide. Rhipidia 2-flowered; spathes firm, leafy in texture, with translucent membranous upper margins, inner 50-60 mm long, outer somewhat shorter, sheathing only near base, arching outward in upper half. Flowers on pedicels 40-50 mm long; creamy yellow with small to large brown spots, margins dark brown, usually sweetly scented (of violets), tepal claws broad, forming a wide cup, ± 8 mm deep, 12-15 mm wide at rim, with brownish purple, heart-shaped nectaries in lower half, ± half as long as claw; outer tepals ± 25 mm long, inner tepals 22-24 mm long, claws of both whorls ± 8 mm long. Stamens with filament united in a column ± 7.5 mm long, free in upper 2 mm; anther thecae parallel, ± 5 mm long at anthesis, later shrinking; pollen dull brown to orange. Ovary ellipsoid, 20-25 mm long, tapering to a slender beak, ± 8 mm long, included; style branches ± 2 mm long, diverging into prominently fringed arms ± 2 mm long; stigmas terminal on style arms. Capsules ± ellipsoid, 20-25 mm long, excluding beak. Seeds light brown, glossy, 5-or 6-angled, ± smooth.