Gladiolus macneilii Oberm.

Plants 700-900 mm high. Corm ovoid, 16-22 mm diam.; tunics cartilaginous, soon decaying into pale, medium-textured fibres. Stem erect, flexed outward above sheaths of upper 2 or 3 leaves, simple or with 1 or 2 short branches. Leaves 8 or 9, lower 4 basal and reaching to between base and middle of spike, blades linear, mostly 2.5-4.0 mm wide, main vein moderately thickened and raised, margins lightly thickened, cauline leaves progressively smaller and largely sheathing. Spike usually inclined, weakly flexuose, 7-to 17-flowered; bracts narrowly lanceolate-attenuate, pale green in bud, becoming membranous to dry and light pinkish brown above, dry at end of flowering, apices dark brown, outer (25-)30-40(-50) mm long, ± 2 internodes long, inner shorter. Flowers cream-coloured to pale salmon-pink, lower 3 tepals each with dark red longitudinal median streak, unscented; perianth tube 40-45 mm long, cylindric below, curved and flared outward in upper ± 8 mm; tepals lanceolate-attenuate, upper 3 largest, dorsal ± 30 x 15 mm, arching over stamens, upper laterals directed forward and curving outward lightly in distal 1/3, ± 27 x 13 mm, lower 3 tepals united basally for 4-5 mm, apices narrow and recurving, lower laterals ± 18 x 4 mm, lower median ± 25 x7 mm. Filaments 12-14 mm long, exserted ± 5 mm from tube; anthers 10-12 mm long, including sterile tails 1.5-2.5 mm long, apiculate, purple; pollen pale yellow. Style extending horizontally over stamens, dividing opposite anther apices, branches ± 2 mm long. Capsules obovoid, 3-lobed above and retuse, 15-20 mm long. Seeds oblong, broadly winged, ± 6 mm long.