Gladiolus bilineatus G.J.Lewis

Plants 200-350 mm high, with cataphylls green or sometimes obscurely speckled with purple. Corm ± globose, 18-24 mm diam.; tunics finely fibrous. Stem erect or inclined, lightly flexed outward above sheaths of upper 2 leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3, lowermost basal and reaching to ± base of spike, linear-lanceolate, 6-8 mm wide, midvein evident but only lightly thickened, margins narrowly hyaline, cauline leaves progressively smaller, usually overlapping. Spike lightly inclined, ± straight, 2-to 5-flowered; bracts green or flushed dull purple, outer 40-50(-60) mm long, inner shorter, usually minutely forked. Flowers creamy pink to pale salmon-coloured, lower 3 tepals with long pale median streak edged in dark pink to red, unscented; perianth tube 50-70 mm long and cylindric in lower 40-50 mm, flared in upper 10-20 mm; tepals lanceolate, dorsal largest, 23 x 15-16 mm, inclined nearly horizontally over stamens, upper laterals 22-23 x 9 mm, curving outward distally, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for ± 3 mm, 15-17 x 7-8 mm. Filaments ± 20 mm long, exserted ± 2 mm from tube; anthers ± 9 mm long, purple; pollen lilac. Style arching over stamens, dividing just beyond anther apices, branches ± 4 mm long. Capsules ovoid [mature capsules not seen]. Seeds ovate, 5.5-6.5 mm long, broadly and evenly winged.