Gladiolus mostertiae L.Bolus

Plants (200-)300-500 mm high. Corm globose, ± 12-14 mm diam.; tunics papery to softly leathery, soon becoming finely fibrous. Stem erect, moderately to strongly flexed above sheathing parts of upper leaves and flexuose, usually 1(3)-branched. Leaves (3)4, lower 2 basal and reaching to between base and middle of spike, linear or narrowly lanceolate, 2.5-4.0 mm wide, lightly to densely villous, veins strongly thickened and ridged, margins lightly thickened, cauline leaves progressively smaller, usually channelled throughout and shortly sheathing. Spike ± straight or lightly flexuose, 4-to 10-flowered; bracts bright green or flushed dull purple, firm-textured, broadly truncate, upper margins usually dull purple, outer 10-14 mm long, inner shorter, minutely notched. Flowers pale to deep pink, darker toward tips of upper tepals, lower lateral tepal limbs cream-coloured with heart-shaped yellow mark with a greenish centre toward base, lower tepal claws and wide part of tube with minute reddish dots, with a faint acrid metallic odour; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, ± 11 mm long; tepals ± ovate, dorsal largest, arching to hooded over stamens, ± 20 x 12 mm, upper laterals directed forward, curving outward only toward apices, ± 15 x 9 mm, sometimes windowed between bases of dorsal and upper lateral tepals or these overlapping, lower tepals united with upper laterals for ± 10 mm and together for ± 1 mm, lower laterals twisted obliquely, ± 11 mm long, narrowed below into linear channelled claws ± 4 mm long, abruptly expanded into broadly oval limbs ± 7 x 6 mm, lower median tepal broadly lanceolate, not clawed, ± 9 x 8 mm. Filaments ± 15 mm long, strongly arched, exserted ± 8 mm from tube; anthers ± 4 mm long, lilac; pollen whitish. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite middle of anthers, branches ± 3.5 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid-trigonous, (14-)18-20 mm long. Seeds ovate, 4-5 x ± 3 mm, broadly and evenly winged.