Plants 400-1500 mm. Corm subglobose, ± 20 mm diam.; outer tunics papery, becoming ± fibrous. Stem erect or inclined outward above basal leaves, unbranched or occasionally 1-branched. Leaves 8 or 9, lower 6 or 7 basal and reaching to base of spike or above, narrowly sword-shaped, (3-)5-10 mm wide, relatively soft-textured with main vein raised, but other veins and margins not thickened, slightly twisted in distal 1/2, cauline leaves smaller, uppermost largely to entirely sheathing. Spike erect, 7-to 16-flowered, 2-ranked; bracts soft-textured, pale green becoming pale straw-coloured and dry shortly after anthesis, outer (20-)22-32 mm long, inner slightly shorter or ± as long, minutely forked apically, margins fused in basal 1/2 and thus tubular below; outer and inner bracts exuding photosynthate from tips. Flowers pale flesh-pink, tepal sutures and tube flushed deeper salmon-coloured, lower 3 tepals flushed deep red laterally in basal third, streaked with 3 main and 2 minor longitudinal lines in basal 1/2, upper 3 tepals flushed deep red at base, unscented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, slightly arched distally, 33-35 mm long, basal cylindric portion 25-27 mm long; tepals with upper 3 larger, erect below, recurved in distally, lanceolate-attenuate, margins slightly undulate, dorsal tepal horizontal in basal 1/2, deeply concave, 33 x 11-12 mm, upper laterals 32-34 x 10-12 mm, lower 3 tepals joined for 1 mm, lower laterals shortest, 28-29 x 9-10 mm, lower median 30 x 9-10 mm. Filaments 17 mm long, exserted 7 mm from tube, filaments deep red in basal 1/3; anthers 8-9 mm long, purple; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching under dorsal tepal, dividing at or beyond anther apices, branches 4 mm long. Capsule obovoid, 3-lobed above and retuse, 30 x 12 mm. Seeds oval to oblong, 8-10 x 4-6 mm, ± evenly winged or wing lacking on one side.
Home