Gladiolus nerineoides G.J.Lewis

Plants 350-600 mm high, with cataphylls pubescent. Corm globose, 15-20 mm diam.; tunics of pale, finely netted fibres, often forming a collar around base. Stems generally inclined, unbranched. Leaves (1)2, inserted on middle and upper part of stem, widely spaced and entirely sheathing, lowermost 40-70 mm long, pubescent, upper 20-35 mm long; foliage leaf solitary, produced later in season, linear to narrowly lanceolate, 250-300 x 3-6 mm, lightly pubescent, dry at flowering but often remaining attached to corm, main and a pair of secondary veins lightly thickened, margins not thickened. Spike usually flexed outward at base and inclined to nearly horizontal, 3-to 5(10)-flowered, flowers crowded on upper side and subcapitate; bracts green, outer 14-18 mm long, obtuse, inner ± as long, minutely forked. Flowers scarlet red (rarely orange), lower 3 tepals sometimes with darker median streak toward base, unscented; perianth tube ± straight, cylindric below, widened somewhat in upper 1/2, 25-31 mm long; tepals subequal, narrowly ovate, held somewhat apart, lower three directed downward distally, somewhat undulate, upper sometimes recurving, 19-22 x 7-9 mm. Filaments 8-10 mm long, entirely included in tube; anthers 6-7 mm long, with upper third exserted from tube. Style dividing at or shortly beyond anther apices, branches 3-4 mm long, filiform and notched apically. Capsules obovoid, obtuse to subacute, ± 12 mm long. Seeds unknown.