Gladiolus curtifolius Marais

Plants 25-35 cm. high.. Corm 1.2-1.8 cm. in diameter, tunics brittle-papery, usually broken into vertical fibres below.. Leaves of the flowering stem 2-3, almost to entirely sheathing, 4-8 cm. long, sometimes with short non-sheathing blades 1-3 cm. long, inserted on the lower half of the stem, sparsely pubescent on the sheaths and blades; leaves of non-flowering individuals evidently solitary, linear, ± 2 mm. wide, sparsely pubescent.. Stem erect, unbranched, the lower half sheathed by the leaves, the upper half occasionally with a short sheathing leaf-bract 2-3 cm. below the first flower, this with an open sheath, ± 1.5 mm. in diameter at the base of the spike.. Spike (1-)2-4-flowered; bracts 1.5-2.7 cm. long, green or membranous, usually dry and brownish above at anthesis, the inner ± as long as the outer, or slightly longer, bifid.. Flowers cream to pale lemon-yellow, the tepals symmetrically disposed, fragrant; perianth-tube 5-7.5(-8) cm. long, cylindric, very slightly expanded in the upper third; tepals subequal, lanceolate, (1.5-)1.8-2.2 cm. long, the inner 3 slightly shorter than the outer.. Filaments unilateral, included or exserted 1-2 mm. from the tube; anthers ± 7 mm. long.. Style dividing near the anther-apices, the branches ± 4 mm. long.. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, 1.3-1.5 cm. long.