Gladiolus alatus L.

Plants (80-)150-200 mm high. Corm depressed-globose, 12-16 mm diam.; tunics membranous, decaying irregularly or occasionally ± fibrous. Stem ± erect below, flexed outward above sheathing part of third leaf, slightly compressed, ridged to winged at least on 1 side, simple or rarely with 1 short branch, often with a small cormlet in subterranean leaf axils. Leaves 3 or 4(5), lower 2 or 3 ± basal, lowermost longest and reaching to ± top of spike, others progressively smaller, narrowly lanceolate to linear or falcate, 2-6(-9) mm wide, lightly (1)2-several-ribbed to markedly corrugate, often lightly scabrid-papillose on veins or surface, uppermost leaf often ± bract-like. Spike flexed at base and inclined, lightly flexuose, 2-to 5(8)-flowered; bracts strongly keeled, green with purple keel and margins, 25-35 mm long, inner slightly shorter, 2-keeled, acute. Flowers orange to scarlet, lower tepals light yellow-green with orange apices, upper lateral tepals feathered dark red in lower half, sutures between tepals thickened into iridescent papillose ridges, sweetly herbaceous-scented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 10-14 mm long; tepals with dorsal largest, ascending to ± erect or weakly arching toward stamens, occasionally almost horizontal, broadly fiddle-shaped, 35-40(-50) x 16-25 mm, margins undulate below, upper laterals spade-shaped, 22-30 mm long, narrowed below into short claws 1-3 mm long, abruptly expanded into triangular limbs 18-28 mm wide, curving outward distally, lower 3 tepals united below for 3-5 mm, free for 20-26 mm, lower laterals narrowly oblanceolate, channelled below or throughout, 8-12 mm wide near apex, lowermost narrowed below into a claw-like base ± 8 mm long, limb broadly triangular, 12-18 x 16-19 mm, as wide or wider than both lower laterals. Filaments strongly arched, 20-26 mm long, exserted for ± 16-18 mm from tube, lightly to densely pubescent in upper half and minutely so below; anthers 6-10 mm long, dull green to yellowish with purple lines; pollen yellowish. Style arching over stamens, sparsely pilose, dividing near anther apices, branches ± 5 mm long. Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, 18-25 mm long. Seeds ovate to round, ± 8 x 6-8 mm, broadly and evenly winged.