Freesia grandiflora Klatt

Plants (120-)200-600 mm high. Corm globose-conical, 10-15 mm diam., producing thick, scaly rhizomes 20-40 mm long, tunics of fine fibres or ± papery. Stem erect, usually simple, rarely developing cormlets in axils of lower leaves. Leaves 6 to 9, suberect, usually reaching to base of spike or shortly above, lanceolate, (40-)100-300 x (6-)8-20 mm, acute, soft-textured with moderately thickened main vein. Spike suberect or weakly deflexed, becoming erect or suberect in fruit, 2-to 6-flowered; bracts ovate, soft and herbaceous, green with dark reddish brown tips, 10-20 mm long, acute, inner 2/3 as long. Flowers 30-50 mm long, usually red, rarely pinkish red or pink, base of lower 3 tepals with darker red blotch, unscented; perianth tube cylindric below, expanded and funnel-shaped near apex, 20-30(-35) mm long, straight or slightly curved above; tepals subequal with inner 3 slightly larger and uppermost largest, suberect below and spreading above, oblanceolate, upper tepals 22-32 x 7-10 mm, lower 21-26 mm long. Filaments erect and unilateral, (6-)15-25 mm long, inserted 3-4 mm below mouth of tube, exserted 12-20 mm; anthers 5.5-8.0 mm long. Style dividing between middle and apex of anthers. Capsules oblong, 8-10 x 7-8 mm, ± papillate. Seeds subglobose, 2.0-3.5 mm diam., with or without inflated chalaza and very short raphe, smooth or lightly wrinkled, deep orange or red when fresh but soon darkening.