Gladiolus pretoriensis Kuntze

Plants 400-700 mm high. Corm 14-18 mm diam.; tunics of medium-textured fibres, not extending upward in a collar. Stem simple or up to 2-branched, usually flexed above sheath of uppermost leaf, ± 1 mm diam. at base of spike. Leaves 3 to 5(7), lower 1 or 2 basal, reaching at least to base of spike or longer, terete or oval in section and narrowly 4-grooved, ± 1.5-2.0 mm diam., midrib and margins thickened and raised, cauline leaves progressively shorter and thinner, becoming almost filiform, upper 1 or 2 cauline leaves often with vestigial blades, sheaths of cauline leaves sometimes overlapping and concealing stem up to base of spike. Spike inclined, lightly flexuose, (5)9-to 13-flowered; bracts green below or purplish, becoming dry and brownish in upper half at flowering and completely dry and rusty brown in fruit, 9-12(-15) mm long, inner shorter to slightly longer, forked at apex. Flowers pale lilac to pink, upper three tepals darker in midline, lower lateral tepals each with yellow spade-shaped mark outlined in purple, unscented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 11-14 mm long, curved outward above; tepals oblanceolate, dorsal largest, hooded over stamens, 14-18(-24) x 10-14 mm, upper laterals curving outward distally, 12-16(-23) mm long, lower 3 held close together and ± horizontal or tilted downward, united with upper laterals for 5-8 mm, free parts 11-15(-20) mm long, narrowed below into claws, limbs of lower laterals 2.5-4.0 wide, lowermost 4.5-6.5 mm wide. Filaments 10-13 mm long, exserted 5-7 mm from tube; anthers 4-6 mm long, yellow; pollen yellow. Style arching over filaments, dividing between lower third and apex of anthers, branches 1.5-2.0 mm long. Capsules globose-ovoid, 8-10 mm long. Seeds angular-prismatic, 1.7-2.0 mm long.