Gladiolus trichonemifolius Ker Gawl.

Plants 120-250 mm high. Corm globose, 7-12 mm diam.; tunics woody to leathery, splitting into claw-like segments. Stem erect below, flexed outward above sheaths of two upper leaves, unbranched. Leaves 3, lower 2 basal, lowermost sheathing lower 2/3 of stem, usually shortly exceeding spike, oval in cross-section to terete and longitudinally 4-grooved, margins and midribs heavily thickened, 1-2 mm diam., second leaf sheathing for 1/2 its length, reaching to ± base of spike, uppermost leaf inserted in upper 1/3 of stem, mostly sheathing. Spike inclined or erect, flexuose, 1-to 3(4)-flowered; bracts dark green, veins nearly transparent, attenuate, outer 30-40(-50) mm long, inner shorter. Flowers weakly zygomorphic or subactinomorphic, creamy-white to yellow, outer tepals often flushed purple on reverse, lower 3 tepals with paired brown lines either side of midline in lower half and deeper yellow across middle, sometimes purplish toward apices, mouth of tube edged with star-shaped purple band or base of tepals and upper part of tube with blackish star-shaped mark, often with a strong sweet freesia-or violet-like scent, or unscented; perianth tube straight or obliquely and narrowly funnel-shaped, 16-20 mm long; tepals with upper 3 slightly larger than lower 3, or subequal, or outer 3 slightly larger than inner, lanceolate-elliptic, 24-35(-40) mm long, dorsal 10-13(-18) mm wide, lower 3 usually united for 1-4 mm, 22-35(-44) x 7-9 mm, arching outward in upper half. Filaments 8-15 mm long, exserted ± 2 mm from tube; anthers 8-10 mm long, pale yellow; pollen cream-coloured. Style arching over stamens or occasionally nearly straight, dividing just below anther apices, branches 4-5 mm long. Capsules ovoid-ellipsoid, 12-15 mm long. Seeds ovate, 4-5 x ± 3.0-3.5 mm, broadly and evenly winged.