Gladiolus calcaratus G.J.Lewis

Plants 300-450 mm high. Corm globose, 12-15 mm diam., bearing small cormlets at base; tunics leathery to ± woody, decaying into fairly coarse vertical fibres. Stem erect, simple, usually slightly flexed above sheaths of upper 2 leaves. Leaves 6 to 8, lower 3 to 5 basal, reaching to between middle of stem and middle of spike, narrowly sword-shaped to nearly linear, 4-8 mm wide, main vein and margins moderately thickened, cauline leaves decreasing in size and progressively reduced, upper 1 or 2 ± entirely sheathing. Spike ± straight, 6-to 10-flowered; bracts firm-textured, dark green, dry and brownish above, outer 35-45(-55) mm long, overlapping, 1.5-2.0 internodes long, lightly folded in midline, inner shorter. Flowers white, fading to pale pink or lilac, especially in midlines of tepals, yellow in throat, lower tepals each with pale yellowish median longitudinal streak outlined in pale dull pink, unscented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, (16-)25-40 mm long, lower cylindric part (12-)20-32 mm long; tepals broadly lanceolate, upper 3 largest, 28-33 x 12-14 mm, dorsal extended horizontally and curving upward near tip, upper laterals sometimes up to 5 mm longer than dorsal, directed forward, curving outward in distal fourth, lower 3 tepals basally united for ± 2 mm, lower laterals 20-22 x ± 12 mm, lower median 23-30 x ± 12 mm. Filaments 12-14 mm long, exserted ± 7 mm from tube; anthers 9-12 mm long, including sterile tails or spurs 3-4 mm long, whitish; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching over stamens, dividing at or shortly beyond anther apices, branches 3.0-4.5 mm long. Capsules obovoid, 3-lobed above, 10-12 mm long. Seeds narrowly ovate to pear-shaped, 4-5 x ± 2 mm, unevenly and weakly winged, sometimes one half without a wing.