Gladiolus longicollis Baker

Plants (200-)300-500(-600) mm high. Corm conic, (7-)10-14 mm long, tunics of fairly fine to moderately coarse fibres, sometimes thickened and ± claw-like below. Stem erect, usually flexed outward just above sheathing part of second leaf, unbranched. Leaves 3, only lowermost with well-developed blade ± 2/3 as long as stem, X-shaped in section to terete with four narrow longitudinal grooves, second leaf sheathing stem for 100-150 mm, channelled throughout or with a short blade, third leaf inserted in upper 1/4 of stem and largely sheathing. Spike 1-to 3(7)-flowered; bracts grey-green, outer shortly acuminate, 35-50(-65) mm long, inner shorter to slightly longer, acuminate or notched apically. Flowers white to pale yellow, often lightly to heavily mottled with brown, more densely so along midlines, outer tepals flushed and veined purplish to brown or green on reverse, tube obscurely lined with green or purple on veins, perianth expanding in evening or during misty weather, then scented of carnation and cloves, closing next morning; perianth tube slender and cylindric, ± horizontal and slightly curved above or erect below and curving outward above, (45-)50-110 mm long, 2-3 mm diam. in midline, papillose in lower throat; tepals subequal or unequal, outer whorl equal and larger than inner whorl, acute to acuminate or attenuate, dorsal nearly horizontal or curving upward distally, 25-32 x 12-17 mm, upper lateral 25-42 x 10-19 mm, lower tepals sometimes joined to upper laterals for up to 2 mm and together for up to 2 mm, lower lateral tepals 22-32 x 9-14 mm, lower median 25-32 x 12-14 mm. Filaments 5-13 mm long, usually included in tube or exserted 1-2 mm; anthers 9-15 mm long, included in tube for up to 1/2 their length or shortly exserted 1-2 mm beyond tube, green or purplish; pollen cream-coloured to yellow. Style arching over stamens, puberulous in lower half, dividing opposite upper third of anthers, branches 3-6 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid or subcylindric, 20-25 x ± 6 mm. Seeds ovate, 5-6 x 3.5-4.0 mm, broadly and evenly winged.