Freesia leichtlinii Klatt

Plants 60-250 mm high (rarely up to 500 mm under bushes). Corm conic, 10-15(-20) mm diam., sometimes deeply buried, tunics pale, of fine-medium-textured fibres. Stem erect or flexed upward above uppermost sheath and then suberect, minutely papillate, at least toward base, usually simple, producing cormlets in lower, subterranean leaf axils and later at base of corm. Leaves 5 to 9, inclined to suberect or rarely prostrate, less than half as long to ± as long as stem, narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 40-140(-300) x (3-)6-12 mm, acute. Spike deflexed or horizontal, (2-)4-to 9-flowered; bracts obovate, herbaceous and firm-textured, green with hyaline margins, 4-7(-12) mm long, inner slightly shorter. Flowers (25-)30-45 mm long, white to cream-coloured or pale yellow, usually ± flushed dull purple on reverse of tepals, base of all 3 lower tepals or only lower median tepal marked yellow to orange, strongly violet-scented; perianth tube funnel-shaped, (15-)20-25(-40) mm long with basal tubular portion (5-)6-9(-20) mm long, widening ± abruptly into flared upper portion; tepals subequal or unequal with dorsal largest, suberect, ovate, 13-18 x 8-14 mm, upper laterals slightly narrower, lower tepals recurved, 12-14 x 6-12 mm. Filaments arcuate, (12-)15-18(-22) mm long, included; anthers 6-9 mm long. Style dividing at or slightly beyond anther apices. Capsules oblong, 10-12 x 8-10 mm, papillate or rugulose. Seeds obliquely subglobose with inflated chalaza and raphe, 2.5-3.0 mm diam., wrinkled or smooth, glossy reddish brown.

Grows on roadsides, in wasteland, park reserves and lawns in towns, and locally in native vegetation.

Cultivated garden ornamental; part of a complex of hybrid Freesia taxa that has developed many cultivars.