Gladiolus stefaniae Oberm.

Plants 400-650 mm high, with cataphylls dark purple and usually lightly mottled with cream-coloured or green. Corm globose, ± 20 mm diam.; tunics papery becoming soft and finely fibrous. Stem ± erect, slightly flexed outward above sheaths of upper 2 leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3 to 5(6), all cauline, lowermost lanceolate, blade shorter than sheath, others usually entirely sheathing; non-flowering plants producing 3 or 4 linear leaves ± 5 mm wide, main vein fairly strongly thickened, margins lightly raised. Spike erect, 2-to 4-flowered; bracts pale green or flushed grey, outer 55-65 mm long, inner shorter. Flowers bright scarlet or carmine, lower 3 tepals with median whitish streak in lower midline, sometimes paler on edges and shading to mauve, unscented; perianth tube 35-45 mm long, narrowly and obliquely funnel-shaped, lower cylindric part 25-30 mm long; tepals with outer whorl larger, broadly lanceolate to ovate, dorsal inclined over stamens, 53-58 x 25-32 mm, upper laterals 50-60 x 25-27 mm, spreading distally, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for ± 3 mm, 45-48 x 23-25 mm. Filaments 30-42 mm long, exserted 20-32 mm from tube; anthers ± 13 mm long, yellow with purple lines on sutures of thecae or uniformly dark purple; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching over filaments, dividing opposite lower 1/3 of anthers, branches 10-12 mm long. Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, 18-25 mm long. Seeds oval, broadly and evenly winged, 6.5-8.0 x ± 5.5 mm.