Gladiolus hyalinus Jacq.

Plants (120-)300-600 mm high. Corm globose-conic, 10-12 mm diam.; tunics ± woody, splitting below into claw-like segments. Stem erect below, flexed outward above sheaths of upper 2 leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3, imbricate, lowermost markedly longest, reaching to ± base of spike, linear, 1.7-2.5 mm wide, margins and main vein strongly thickened and raised, thus with two fairly wide grooves on each surface, second leaf sheathing lower 1/2 of stem, upper leaf sheathing for ± 1/2 its length. Spike inclined, ± straight, 1-to 3(6)-flowered; bracts pale green to greyish, sometimes long-attenuate, outer 36-50 mm long, usually exceeding perianth tube, inner slightly shorter, minutely forked. Flowers light to reddish brown on a pale cream-coloured background, tepals usually darker along midlines, lower 1/2 of dorsal tepal transparent on edges, abaxial part of throat transparent with dark spots and streaks, entire perianth becoming translucent after dark, unscented or rarely sweetly scented, especially at night; perianth tube 25-36 mm long, erect and cylindric below for 20-24 mm, abruptly bent and flared outward for 10-12 mm; tepals lanceolate to ovate, dorsal largest, arching over stamens, 23-30 x 12-16 mm, upper laterals 23-30 x 7-8 mm, lower 3 tepals united for 2-4 mm, lower laterals 14-20 mm long, curving obliquely away from lower median in upper 1/2, lower median ± straight, 16-25 x 5-6 mm. Filaments 12-16 mm long, exserted 2-5 mm from tube; anthers 9-11 mm long, cream-coloured; pollen yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing at or shortly beyond anther apices, branches 2-3 mm long. Capsules elongate-ellipsoid, triangular in section, (20-)25-30 mm long, enclosed in bracts. Seeds ± ovate, 4-7 x 3-4 mm, broadly and evenly winged.