Gladiolus comptonii G.J.Lewis

Plants 300-450 mm high, with cataphylls minutely puberulous. Corm globose-ovoid, 15-20 mm diam.; tunics leathery, fragmenting into coarse fibres. Stem erect, flexed outward above sheaths of 2 or 3 upper leaves and inclined in upper 1/3, unbranched. Leaves 4, lower 1 or 2 basal, lowermost sheathing lower 1/2 of stem, sheath minutely puberulous, reaching to base of spike, linear, 1.5-3.0 mm wide, straight, main vein and margins lightly raised, remaining leaves progressively shorter, lower margins united around stem. Spike inclined, flexuose, (1)2-or 3-flowered; bracts green to dark grey-green with broad membranous margins, attenuate, outer 35-60 mm long, inner shorter, lightly notched. Flowers bright yellow, upper tepals streaked and spotted reddish in lower 1/3, lower lateral tepals streaked and spotted with brown below, lightly sweet-scented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 11-14 mm long, lower cylindric part enclosed in bracts; tepals narrowly lanceolate-attenuate, upper 3 subequal or dorsal slightly larger, dorsal 40-50 x 13-15 mm, upper laterals 36-44 mm long, curving outward distally, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for ± 4 mm and together for ± 4 mm, slightly narrowed and deeply channelled below, lower laterals 33-40 x 8-9 mm, lower median slightly longer, 34-42 x 11-13 mm, all curving outward and downward distally. Filaments ± 13 mm long, exserted 8-10 mm from tube but hidden in flower; anthers 9-11 mm long, yellow; pollen yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing between upper 1/3 and anther apices, branches 4-5 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid, subacute, 12-15 mm long. Seeds ovoid, 7-8 x 4-5 mm, broadly and evenly winged.