Gladiolus teretifolius Goldblatt & M.p.de Vos

Plants 400-700 mm high. Corm globose, 12-20 mm diam., often with numerous cormlets around base; tunics ± woody to leathery, splitting from below into claw-like segments. Stem usually slightly inclined above sheath of uppermost leaf, unbranched. Leaves 3, lower 2 basal, lowermost markedly longest, reaching ± the spike, 1-2 mm diam., oval to nearly terete in transverse section with margins and main vein thickened, thus with 2 narrow longitudinal grooves on each surface, second leaf sheathing stem for most of its length, blade 10-25 mm long, uppermost leaf inserted in upper 1/4 of stem, almost entirely sheathing, overlapped by second leaf. Spike ± straight, 1-to 5(7)-flowered; bracts grey-green, sometimes flushed with purple, outer 35-45(-50) mm long, inner shorter. Flowers orange-red to scarlet (rarely cream-coloured), dorsal tepal translucent along lower edges, tube pale with red speckles and paired red lines from base of upper lateral tepals, unscented; perianth tube 35-45 mm long, straight and narrowly cylindric in lower 12-17 mm, abruptly expanded and curved outward into a wider cylindric upper part, 22-27 mm long, 6-7 mm diam.; tepals obovate, dorsal largest, 20-27 x 12-15 mm, extended horizontally, upper laterals patent, 16-25 x 10-12 mm, lower tepals arching outward and downward, laterals 12-18 x 8-12 mm, lower median 15-22 mm long. Filaments ± horizontal 32-38 mm long, exserted 9-12 mm from tube; anthers 7-9 mm long, dark violet; pollen yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite anther apices, branches ± 3.5 mm long. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, acute, ± 20 mm long. Seeds ovate, ± 4.5 x ± 3 mm, broadly and evenly winged.