Gladiolus uysiae L.Bolus ex G.J.Lewis

Plants 70-180 mm high. Corm depressed-globose, 10-14 mm diam., producing slender white stolons from base; tunics membranous to papery, not accumulating. Stem ± erect below, flexed outward and inclined in middle, rarely with short branch. Leaves 3, overlapping, lowermost longest, ± as long or slightly longer than stem, plane, somewhat fleshy, falcate, 3-6(-9) mm wide, main and 1 or 2 secondary veins evident but not thickened, remaining leaves reaching to between middle of stem and base of spike, uppermost usually mostly channelled. Spike flexed at base, inclined, 1-to 3-flowered, lightly flexuose; bracts green, outer 20-25 mm long, margins transparent, inner shorter and ± enclosed by outer. Flowers purple-pink but paler distally with strong purple to green veining, lower tepals with dark yellow-green band shortly below apex, sometimes purple-veined at tips, strongly and sweetly scented; perianth tube narrowly and obliquely funnel-shaped, 10-12 mm long; tepals with dorsal longest, straight and erect, oblanceolate, 28-35 mm long, widest in upper 1/3 with margins recurved, upper laterals spade-shaped, bases abruptly narrowed and claw-like for 2-3 mm, limbs triangular, acute, curving outward in upper 1/2, 15-18 mm long, lower 3 tepals joined to upper laterals for ± 1 mm and together for ± 1 mm, free for ± 15 mm long, clawed and narrow and channelled below, abruptly expanded into limbs 8-9 mm long, sutures between lower and upper lateral tepals thickened into iridescent papillose ridges. Filaments strongly arched, 20-25 mm long, exserted 18-20 mm from tube; anthers 6-8 mm long, purple; pollen yellow. Style arched over the filaments, dividing opposite upper third of anthers, branches 5-6 mm long. Capsules obovoid with rounded apices, obscurely 3-lobed, 12-18 mm long. Seeds round to broadly oval, ± 6 x 4-5 mm, broadly and evenly winged.