Gladiolus pole-evansii I.Verd.

Plants 600-1100 mm high, with pubescent cataphylls. Corm globose, 15-22 mm diam.; tunics firm-papery to coarsely fibrous. Stem erect, scabrid, often with 1, rarely up to 3 branches, lightly compressed. Leaves 8 or 9, lower 5 or 6 basal in a lax, 2-ranked fan, glaucous-green, reaching to ± base or middle of spike, narrowly lanceolate, 10-15 mm wide, minutely scabrid on veins, intercostal surfaces pubescent, main and at least one other vein pair heavily thickened and raised, margins lightly thickened, cauline leaves inserted well above ground, with fairly short blades or entirely sheathing. Spike weakly inclined, often weakly 2-ranked, ± straight, 15-to 20-flowered; bracts pale green, minutely papillose-pubescent, apices usually ± dry at anthesis, often exuding photosynthate drops near apices, 16-25 mm long, up to 1.0(-1.5) internodes long, inner bracts ± as long as to slightly shorter, sometimes obscurely notched, margins united around flower in lower 1/2. Flowers translucent flesh-pink, becoming almost colourless at tepal apices, upper lateral tepals with narrow red lines along midline, lower tepals, or sometimes only lower median, yellow in lower midline with red median streak distal to yellow mark, base of upper part of tube often dark red; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, ± 15 mm long, wider upper part exserted from bracts; tepals lanceolate, dorsal largest, extended horizontally over stamens, ± 28 x 16 mm, upper laterals extended forward below, curving outward and patent above, 24-26 x ± 12 mm, lower 3 tepals straight, inclined toward ground, 21 x ± 9.5 mm. Filaments 18-20 mm long, exserted ± 10 mm from tube; anthers 7.5-9.0 mm long, pale purple; pollen yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing close to anther apices, branches ± 4 mm long. Capsules oblong, 3-lobed above, retuse, 20-25 mm long. Seeds oval to oblong, 8-10 x 4.5-5.5 mm, wing usually developed only on one side.