Gladiolus albens Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants 250-500(-700) mm high. Corm globose, 10-20 mm diam.; tunics papery, becoming fibrous. Stem erect, lightly flexed above sheaths of upper 1 or 2 leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3(4), lower 2 basal, lowermost sheathing lower 1/3-1/2 of stem, short, rarely longer, linear, up to 100 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, leathery or subsucculent, with 3 equal veins, margins not raised or thickened, remaining leaves inserted between middle and upper 1/3 of stem, progressively shorter. Spike flexed at base and inclined, flexuose, 1-3(5)-flowered; bracts green or greyish, soft-textured, outer 27-40(-45) mm long, inner shorter to ± as long. Flowers cream-coloured to white, sometimes with small speckles or faint red-brown streaks in throat or on tepals, with light, somewhat metallic, dusty sweet scent; perianth tube narrowly and obliquely funnel-shaped, (35-)45-65 mm long, lower cylindric part 25-42 mm long, gradually expanding in upper part; tepals ovate, margins lightly undulate, subequal, dorsal slightly larger, 23-35 x 12-21 mm, extending ± horizontally over stamens, upper laterals curving outward distally, 23-39 x 9-14 mm, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for 5-6 mm and together for 1-2 mm, free parts 21-31 x 1-13 mm, curving downward distally. Filaments 12-15 mm long, exserted 3-6 mm from tube; anthers 9-12 mm long, cream-coloured; pollen yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing close to or shortly beyond anther apices, branches 3-5 mm long. Capsules and seeds unknown.