Gladiolus karooicus Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants 150-500 mm high. Corm conic-globose, 15 mm diam.; tunics papery, decaying into fine to medium-textured fibres. Stem suberect or inclined, flexed outward above sheath of third leaf, simple or with 1 or 2 branches. Leaves usually 4, more when branched, lower 2 basal, reaching to base shortly exceeding spike, linear, ± 2 mm wide, firm-textured, slightly twisted, main vein moderately thickened, margins not thickened, cauline leaves short and largely sheathing. Spike inclined, ± flexuose, 2-to 5-flowered; bracts grey-green sometimes flushed grey-purple, often dry and pale near tips, outer 20-25 mm long, inner shorter to ± as long, acute. Flowers yellow, dorsal and upper laterals flushed and veined grey-purple on reverse, lower laterals deep yellow in lower half turning dull purple on fading, violet-scented; perianth tube subcylindric, slightly wider near apex, ± 12 mm long; tepals lanceolate, all narrowed below into claws, dorsal largest, ± 25 x 10 mm, arched and hooded over stamens, spreading apically, upper laterals erect, arching over dorsal tepal with upper margins often contiguous, ± 25 x 7 mm, windowed between lower halves of dorsal and upper lateral tepals, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for ± 2 mm and together for ± 3 mm, lower laterals with erect claws ± 1.5 mm long, limbs horizontal, ± 12 x 4 mm, expanded distally, lower margins half involute and forming a tube, extending backward as auricles, lower median ± 15 x 8 mm long. Filaments arched under dorsal tepal, ± 15 mm long, exserted 10 mm from tube; anthers ± 8 mm long, light purple; pollen creamy white. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite upper 1/3 of anthers, branches ± 2.5 mm long. Capsules obovoid to ellipsoid, obtuse, 15-20 mm long. Seeds ovate, 5-7 x 4-5 mm, broadly winged.