Gladiolus dolomiticus Oberm.

Plants 700-1000 mm high. Corm depressed-globose, ± 25 mm diam.; tunics leathery becoming coarsely fibrous. Cataphylls pubescent. Stem erect, softly pubescent, often with 1 to 3 short branches, lightly compressed, oval in section. Leaves 7 or 8, lower 4 or 5 basal in a lax fan, pale green, reaching or slightly exceeding spike, narrowly lanceolate, 10-15 mm wide, minutely scabrid on veins, intercostal surfaces minutely pubescent, margins, main and at least one secondary vein pair heavily thickened and raised, cauline leaves inserted well above ground, with short blades. Spike straight and erect, ± 2-ranked but flowers secund, 10-to 17-flowered; bracts pale green becoming dry and light brown above, minutely pubescent, often exuding photosynthate drops near apices, outer 26-30 mm long, attenuate, apex often twisted outward, inner slightly shorter to ± as long, forked, margins united below in a tube ± 10 mm long. Flowers pale pink, lower tepals each with yellow blotch in midline, throat pale yellow, unscented; perianth tube narrowly and obliquely funnel-shaped, 18-27 mm long; tepals lanceolate-elliptic, upper 3 largest, dorsal arching over stamens, 29-38 x 10-12 mm, upper laterals 30-40 x 12-15 mm, lower 3 tepals joined below for 1-2 mm, laterals 25-30 x 7 mm, lower median 27-35 x 7-12 mm. Filaments 9-14 mm long, exserted 4-6 mm from tube; anthers (5-)8-10 mm long, shortly apiculate, pale yellow; pollen pale yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing at or shortly beyond anther apices, branches 4-6 mm long, barely expanded above. Capsules narrowly obovoid-oblong, 3-lobed above and retuse, 25-35 mm long. Seeds ovate, ± 7 x 4.5 mm, broadly and evenly winged.