Gladiolus carinatus [soland.]

Plants 200-500(-1000) mm high, with cataphylls purple mottled with white. Corm globose, 12-18 mm diam.; tunics leathery to ± woody, fragmenting into narrow strips or coarse fibres. Stem erect below, flexed outward above sheaths of 2 upper leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3, lowermost usually shortly exceeding spike, linear, (1-)3-9 mm wide, main vein lightly to moderately thickened, margins not or very little thickened, second leaf sheathing lower 1/2 of stem, channelled or with short blade, uppermost leaf inserted on upper 1/3 of stem, margins united below. Spike inclined, lightly flexuose, (1)4-to 6(10)-flowered; bracts pale green or greyish or flushed with purple, veins and margins translucent, outer 25-35(-65) mm long, inner shorter, lightly notched apically. Flowers pale to mid-blue to grey or pale yellow, rarely purple or pink, lower tepals with yellow band across upper third or yellow in lower 2/3, sometimes also streaked below and above with dark purple to blue, usually intensely scented of freesias or violets; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 13-16 mm long, lower cylindric part 5-7 mm long; tepals ovate to lanceolate, dorsal largest, arching forward, recurved apically, 24-30(-38) x (11-)17-20(-26) mm, upper laterals ± equal or slightly smaller, 22-34 x 14-18 mm, curving outward distally, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for up to 5 mm and together for 4-6 mm, 18-25 x 7-13 mm, widest in upper 1/3, laterals deeply channelled below with margins ± vertical. Filaments 11-15 mm long, exserted 5-6 mm from tube; anthers 8-10 mm long, cream-coloured; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching over stamens, dividing near anther apices, branches 3-4 mm long. Capsules oblong to ellipsoid, acute, 20-25 mm long. Seeds oblong, 6-8 x 5-7 mm, broadly and evenly winged.