Gladiolus delpierrei Goldblatt

Plants 550-650 mm high, with cataphylls lightly mottled above ground but dry and pale at flowering time. Corm globose, ± 20 mm diam.; tunics finely fibrous, forming thin collar around base. Stem unbranched. Leaves 3, lowermost basal and reaching to ± base of spike, linear, 3-4 mm wide, main vein and one other vein or vein pair moderately thickened and prominent, margins lightly thickened, sheaths of 2 lower leaves lightly scabrid on veins, remaining 2 leaves cauline, widely spaced, entirely sheathing, margins united below around stem. Spike lightly inclined, 5-to 7-flowered; bracts pale grey-green or flushed light purple, outer 18-20 mm long, inner slightly shorter. Flowers creamy yellow, upper lateral tepals reddish along midline toward base, lower tepals dark yellow in lower 1/3 with fine red lines or feathering at base, mouth of tube dark red; perianth tube narrowly funnel-shaped, ± 8 mm long; tepals with upper ovate, dorsal largest, ascending to inclined over stamens, ± 21 x 11 mm, upper laterals ± 17 x 8.5 mm, in profile sometimes narrowly windowed between dorsal and upper laterals, lower tepals lanceolate, joined to upper laterals for ± 3 mm, 12-13 mm long, narrowed below into channelled claws, limbs minutely puberulous in lower midline, recurved or sharply deflexed from middle, lowermost slightly longer than lower laterals. Filaments ± 12.5 mm long, exserted ± 9 mm from tube; anthers ± 8 mm long, light mauve; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching over stamens, dividing just below anther apices, branches 2-3 mm long. Capsules and seeds unknown.