Gladiolus patersoniae F.Bolus

Plants 300-600(-1000) mm high, with cataphylls sometimes puberulous above ground, often concealed by a thick mass of coarse fibres. Corm globose, 15-25 mm diam. or more; tunics of hard coarse fibres, usually thickened below into claw-like ridges, accumulating to form a thick collar around base. Stem flexed slightly in upper 1/3 above sheath of second leaf, unbranched. Leaves 3, lower 2 basal, lowermost usually sheathing only near base of stem, leaf longest, reaching or slightly exceeding spike, straight and ± erect, terete with 4 narrow longitudinal grooves, ± 2 mm diam., second leaf sheathing for most or all of its length, uppermost leaf largely to entirely sheathing and sometimes reduced to a grey-green scale 10-20 mm long, margins united in lower 1/2. Spike inclined and flexuose, 2-to 4(5)-flowered; bracts greyish green, often flushed purple, margins hyaline, outer 18-37 mm long, inner shorter and enclosed by outer, forked apically. Flowers inflated and bell-like, pale to deep blue, slate, greyish, or cream-coloured, dorsal tepal usually more intensely coloured, lower 3 tepals with transverse yellow band or chevron across distal 1/3, usually outlined in dark blue or purple, strongly scented of apple and carnation; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, geniculate, 10-12(-15) mm long, lower 1/2 erect and cylindric, upper 1/2 bent at right angles and flaring outward; tepals with upper broadly obovate, dorsal largest, hooded over stamens, 20-30 x 11-28 mm, upper laterals slightly shorter, curved slightly outward apically, lower 3 tepals united with upper laterals for 3-6(-10) mm and together for 2-3 mm, oblanceolate-spathulate, upper margins curving upward, 12-22 x 6-10(-14) mm, laterals slightly exceeding lower median. Filaments 10-16 mm long, exserted 6-8 mm from tube but enclosed in flower; anthers 6-8(-11) mm long, reaching to ± middle of upper tepal, whitish; pollen whitish. Style arching over stamens, dividing between middle and apices of anthers, branches ± 3.5 mm long. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, (14-)20-24 mm long. Seeds ± 7 x 5-6 mm, broadly and evenly winged.