Gladiolus undulatus L.

Plants (250-)450-1500 mm high, with cataphylls reddish purple speckled with white. Corm depressed-globose, 16-24 mm diam.; tunics soft-textured, not normally persisting. Stem erect below, lightly flexed above sheaths of upper 3 leaves, inclined above, unbranched or robust plants with 1 or 2 branches. Leaves 4 or 5, at least lower 2 basal and usually reaching to ± middle of spike, narrowly lanceolate, 5-12 mm wide, main vein lightly raised and thickened, margins hyaline but barely thickened, cauline leaves shorter. Spike inclined, ± 2-ranked, (3)6-to 9(12)-flowered; bracts firm-textured, dull green or flushed dull purple, outer 33-40(-70) mm long, inner shorter and completely enclosed by outer. Flowers pinkish cream-coloured to greenish or pale lilac, lower tepals each with reddish to purple diamond-, spear-shaped or linear marking in lower midline, base of upper part of tube with reddish to purple blotches opposite bases of tepals, unscented; perianth tube 52-75 mm long, cylindric below for 45-60 mm, flared in upper 7-9 mm; tepals narrowly lanceolate-attenuate, margins strongly undulate, dorsal largest, extended almost horizontally over stamens and arching distally, 40-50 x 12-15 mm, upper laterals gradually curving outward, 40-45 x 10-12 mm, lower 3 tepals united for ± 2 mm, directed forward below, somewhat twisted and curving downward distally, 33-36 x 6-9 mm, lower median slightly longer than laterals. Filaments (12-)15-28 mm long, exserted 6-13 mm from tube; anthers 8-9 mm long, cream-coloured above, purple below; pollen purple. Style arching over stamens, usually dividing shortly beyond anther apices or sometimes below, branches ± 6 mm long. Capsules oblong-ellipsoid, 20-27 mm long. Seeds ovate, ± 8 x 5 mm, broadly and evenly winged.