Gladiolus blommesteinii L.Bolus

Plants 300-600 mm high. Corm ovoid, 12-20 mm diam.; tunics hard and woody layers, splitting below into claw-like segments. Stem erect, flexed outward above sheaths of 3 upper leaves and weakly inclined above, unbranched. Leaves 4, lowermost basal, sheathing lower 1/2 of stem and reaching to between middle of stem and shortly above spike, linear, 1.0-1.5 mm wide, straight, margins and main vein lightly raised, upper leaves progressively shorter, usually sheathing for 1/2 their length, blades often slightly narrower, uppermost leaf usually reaching to middle of first flower. Spike inclined, (1)2-to 4-flowered; bracts green to dark grey-green, ridged along veins distally, outer 20-36 mm long, inner shorter, minutely forked apically. Flowers pale mauve-pink to pale blue-mauve, lower tepals yellowish below with streaks or lines of dark red, blue, or purple along veins, and with red spots and streaks in throat, lightly sweet-scented; perianth tube obliquely and narrowly funnel-shaped, 13-24 mm long, lower cylindric part 7-13 mm long, lower part enclosed in bracts and upper part reaching to ± apex of outer bract; tepals lanceolate, dorsal largest, 28-44 x 14-20 mm, ascending, upper laterals ± as long or somewhat shorter and slightly narrower, slightly ascending, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for 4-6 mm and together for 2-3 mm, usually with a short tooth at point of union, narrowly lanceolate, not notably clawed below, free parts 20-35 x 8-10 mm, flexed outward in upper half. Filaments 12-14 mm long, exserted 2-6 mm from tube but included in flower; anthers 8-11 mm long, whitish; pollen pale grey. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite upper 1/3 of anthers, branches 3-4 mm long. Capsules and seeds unknown.