Gladiolus deserticola Goldblatt

Plants 100-200(-270) mm high, with cataphylls purple mottled with white. Corm ± conic, base oblique, 6-12 mm diam.; tunics leathery becoming broken, somewhat fibrous and toothed below. Stem erect or inclined, erect below, sharply flexed above sheaths of leaves or above nodes when sheaths lacking, simple or with 1 or 2 branches. Leaves 4 (or 5 if stem with more than 1 branch), lower 2 basal and reaching to base of spike or exceeding it, linear, 1.5-2.5(-3.0) mm wide, usually twisted, erect or becoming trailing, main vein raised, second leaf sheathing lower 1/2 of stem, cauline leaves progressively shorter above, upper 1 or 2 not sheathing, diverging from stem. Spike flexed at base, usually inclined to horizontal, strongly flexuose-scalloped, 4-to 6-flowered; bracts green or brownish green, outer 12-20 mm long, inner slightly shorter, minutely forked. Flowers nearly actinomorphic but nectar guides only on lower tepals and stamens often unilateral, dark blue with lower lateral tepals or sometimes all 3 lower tepals cream-coloured in basal 1/3 edged with purple distally, weakly rose-scented; perianth tube narrowly funnel-shaped, ± 11 mm long, wider upper part only ± 1.5 mm long; tepals subequal, lanceolate, dorsal slightly longer and narrowed below, 14-21 x 4-5 mm, straight and usually upright, remaining tepals spreading from shortly above bases, 12-18 x 3.5-4.5 mm. Filaments symmetrical or unilateral, 6-9 mm long, exserted ± 4 mm from tube; anthers 4-5 mm long, pale yellow; pollen pale yellow. Style ± central, only slightly arcuate, dividing between middle and apex of anthers, branches ± 4 mm long. Capsules and seeds unknown.