Gladiolus engysiphon G.J.Lewis

Plants 350-450 mm high. Corm ovoid, 9-12 mm diam.; tunics papery, becoming fibrous below. Cataphylls puberulous above ground. Stem lightly flexed outward above sheath of uppermost leaf, unbranched. Leaves 3, all largely or entirely sheathing, lowermost basal and sheathing lower 2/3 of stem, overlapping second leaf, cauline leaves inserted in upper 1/3 of stem, uppermost a bract-like scale 20-30 mm long, margins and main vein heavily raised and thickened, thus ± terete in section with four longitudinal grooves, ± 1 mm diam., sometimes lightly scabrid; non-flowering plants with solitary leaf. Spike flexed at base, inclined, straight, 2-to 6-flowered; bracts dull greenish grey to brown, 15-20(-27) mm long, inner slightly shorter to ± as long, forked apically. Flowers white or cream-coloured, occasionally lightly flushed with mauve, tube pinkish on reverse, upper lateral and lower 3 tepals with red streak in lower midline, sometimes cream-coloured to yellowish in centre of streak, upper part of tube lightly streaked with red, filaments pink to red or violet, unscented; perianth tube nearly cylindric or narrowly funnel-shaped, (22-)40-60 mm long, widening in upper 5-8 mm, sometimes rather abruptly; tepals narrowly lanceolate, dorsal largest, 16-20 x 9-10 mm, inclined over stamens, upper laterals 14-17 x 5-7 mm, spreading in upper 1/3, lower 3 tepals united with upper laterals for 3-4 mm, free parts 12-15 x 3-4 mm. Filaments 10-12 mm long, exserted 3-4 mm from tube; anthers 6-8 mm long, purple; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite or up to 6 mm beyond anther apices, branches ± 3 mm long. Capsules obovoid, 10-14 mm long, 3-lobed above and retuse. Seeds oval, 4.5-5.0 x 3.5-4.0 mm, broadly and evenly winged.