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Flowers light-to dark-purple fading to cream-coloured in the throat and tube, the lower tepals each with a yellow median streak in the upper third; perianth tube 10–12 mm long, curving outward and widening above; tepals unequal, the uppermost c. 18 × 10–12 mm, arched over the stamens, the lower 3 tepals usually shortly exceeding or equalling the uppermost in length when viewed in profile and united with the upper lateral tepals for c. 4.5 mm and to each other for c. 2 mm, narrowed below into claws, horizontal or the limbs flexed downward distally.
Foliage leaves (3)4–5, the lower (2)3–4 more or less basal, reaching to at least the base of the spike or sometimes the lower leaves shortly exceeding it, 1.5–3(7) mm wide, linear (rarely lanceolate), the margins not thickened; the upper leaves decreasing in size above, the uppermost usually cauline.
Spike 4–10-flowered, indexed at the base, straight, sheathed by the bracts; bracts 18–25 mm long, green, or becoming dry and brown apically, firm and erect, clasping the stem, usually imbricate, 1–2 internodes long, the inner c. two-thirds as long as the outer.
Corms 10–20 mm in diameter; tunics of fine to coarse yellow-brown to grey fibres, usually accumulating in a dense mass, often extending upward and with the dry cataphylls forming a thick neck.
Filaments 10–12 mm long, exserted 5–6 mm from the perianth tube; anthers 5–6 mm long, usually purple, pollen yellow.
Style dividing opposite the lower third of the anthers, style branches 1–1.5 mm long.
Capsules 10–12 mm long, narrowly elliptic, comparatively hard and woody.
Stem erect, unbranched.
Plants 24–35 cm high.
