Geissorhiza heterostyla L.Bolus

Plants 120-450 mm high. Corm ovoid, symmetric, 9-12(-15) mm diam.; tunics blackish, woody, outer accumulating above, notched regularly into segments below. Stem puberulous to ciliate (subsp. heterostyla) or smooth (subsp. rosea), simple or more often branched, bearing membranous, often dry, sheathing bract-like leaf in upper part, usually branching from this axil, or also from axil of sheathing leaf. Leaves 3, linear to sword-shaped, lower 2 basal, 1/2 to ± as long as stem, 2-5 mm wide, I-shaped (to almost H-shaped) in section with margins raised at right angles to blade, ciliate on edges, midrib also raised and ciliate, uppermost basal or cauline, sheathing for most of its length, several ribbed on sheath. Spike mostly 3-to 7-flowered, flexed at base, inclined, flexuose; bracts 7-10(-15) mm long, initially pale green with hyaline margins, but drying from apex and becoming transparent, or flushed red or brown, inner shorter than outer. Flowers either zygomorphic, nodding, blue to violet (occasionally white) or actinomorphic and upright to half nodding, white, pale pink to pale mauve; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 1-2 mm long; tepals obovate to ellipsoid, 10-18(-22) x 6-9 mm. Filaments either unilateral, declinate or ascending, unequal, two longer usually 4-6 mm long, shorter one usually 3-4 mm long; anthers (2.5-)4.0-6.0 mm long, yellow or blue-black. Style usually long, dividing opposite upper half or beyond anther tips, branches usually long (rarely short, dividing opposite base of anthers and branches short). Capsules globose, 5-8 mm long.