Freesia occidentalis L.Bolus

Plants 80-300(-600) mm high. Corm conic, 15-20 mm diam., tunics light brown, of medium-textured to coarse fibres, forming collar. Stem suberect, smooth, usually branched. Leaves 7 to 10, erect or inclined, ± half as long to as long as stem, oblong to lanceolate, 40-120(-300) x (5-)7-18(-25) mm, obtuse to subacute, apiculate. Spike horizontal or deflexed, (3-)6-to 9-flowered; bracts oblanceolate to oblong, membranous becoming dry, translucent or flushed pale pink with brown veins and tips, 5-8 mm long, apiculate, inner slightly shorter to slightly longer, with brown tips. Flowers 30-35 mm long, white to yellow, sometimes flushed mauve or pink, base of tube sometimes bright orange, lowermost tepal and inner margins of lower lateral tepals bright yellow, all three lower tepals with dark brownish midline, strongly rosy violet-scented with peppery overtones; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 20-25 mm long with basal tubular portion 6-11 mm long and strongly curved at tip, widening abruptly into flared upper portion; tepals unequal, dorsal largest, suberect, broadly ovate-cordate, 8-12 x 7-10 mm, upper laterals ovate, lower tepals recurved, lower laterals broadly ovate-cordate with margins strongly upcurved, 7-11 x 8-10 mm, lower median ovate, 7-10 x 4-8 mm. Filaments arcuate, 13-15 mm long, included; anthers 5-6 mm long. Style dividing at or slightly beyond anther apices. Capsules subglobose or oblong, 6-10 x 6-8 mm, papillate. Seeds globose with flattened chalaza, 2.0-2.5 mm diam., lightly wrinkled, glossy reddish or purplish brown.