Gladiolus pritzelii Diels

Plants 200-600 mm high, with cataphylls often puberulous above ground. Corm globose, 15-20 mm diam.; tunics woody to leathery, splitting from below into coarse teeth or becoming fibrous. Stem ± erect throughout, flexed above sheaths of upper two leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3, lowermost basal and reaching to ± base of spike, smooth or puberulous to villous, sheathing lower 1/3 of stem, linear, 1.0-3.5 mm wide, usually with 2 raised central veins, margins not noticeably thickened, second leaf sheathing stem to shortly below spike, blade short, third leaf inserted shortly below spike. Spike weakly inclined, flexuose, 1-to 3(5)-flowered; bracts pale to olive-green, margins membranous, outer 20-40 mm long, inner shorter, minutely forked. Flowers zygomorphic, bell-shaped, clear to dull yellow, upper lateral tepals sometimes with reddish markings, lower lateral tepals with bright yellow transverse band outlined in red to purple or brown, lower median with spade-shaped yellow mark outlined in red or purple, lower part of throat streaked with dark colour, sweetly fragrant; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, geniculate, 11-12 mm long, lower 1/2 erect, cylindric for ± 6 mm, upper 1/2 bent sharply and flaring outward; tepals with upper 3 ovate, dorsal largest, arched over stamens, (16-)22-24 x 13-20 mm, upper laterals slightly smaller, recurving apically, lower 3 tepals united with upper laterals for 4-6 mm and together for 2-3 mm, scabrid in lower midlines, curving downward distally, laterals spathulate, 12-16 x ± 7 mm, lower median ± as long, lanceolate. Filaments 10-12 mm long, exserted 5-6 mm from tube but included in flower; anthers ± 8.5 mm long, reddish to brown; pollen yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing shortly below anther apices, branches 3-4 mm long. Capsules and seeds unknown.