Gladiolus taubertianus Schltr.

Plants 180-500(-900) mm high, with cataphylls minutely puberulous above ground. Corm globose, ± 12 mm diam.; tunics hard and woody, splitting from below into claw-like segments. Stem flexed outward above sheathing parts of upper 2 or all 3 leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3, lowermost basal and sheathing lower 1/2 of stem, reaching to ± top of spike or exceeding it, linear, (1-)2-3 mm wide, main vein lightly raised and often a second vein pair also prominent and blade then flexed and L-shaped in section, margins barely thickened, second leaf sheathing lower 2/3 of stem, short, upper leaf inserted in upper 1/3 of stem, sheathing below, margins united around stem. Spike lightly inclined, and weakly flexuose, 1-to 3(5)-flowered; bracts grey-green, soft-textured, outer 20-35(-40) mm long, inner shorter, forked, twisted around to lie under outer. Flowers pale mauve to slate-blue, upper lateral and lower tepals lightly streaked with purple inside, lower laterals with pale yellow transverse band across middle, lightly sweet-scented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 9-14 mm long, lower cylindric part 5-7 mm long; tepals ovate, dorsal largest, 20-26 x 11-16 mm, hooded over stamens, upper laterals curving outward above, 16-21 x 10-12 mm, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for 2-5 mm, free parts 15-19 x 7-9 mm, ± straight and horizontal. Filaments ± 12 mm long, exserted ± 7 mm from tube, adpressed to dorsal tepal; anthers 6-9 mm long, pale lilac; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite upper 1/3 of anthers, branches 4-5 mm long. Capsules and seeds unknown.