Gladiolus vigilans Barnard

Plants 300-450 mm high. Corm 12-15 mm diam.; tunics hard and woody, splitting into claw-like segments. Stem flexed outward above sheaths of upper 2 leaves, inclined above, unbranched. Leaves 4, lower 2 basal and usually shortly exceeding stem, linear, 1.2-1.5 mm wide, margin and main vein moderately thickened, cauline leaves inserted in middle and upper 1/3 of stem respectively, progressively shorter, sheathing for ± 1/2 their length, uppermost channelled throughout. Spike inclined, flexuose, 1-to 3-flowered; bracts pale green, smooth with hyaline margins, outer 20-25 mm long, inner slightly shorter, minutely forked apically. Flowers pale pink, lower 3 tepals with median spade-shaped white mark edged in dark red, extending onto tube, base of upper part of tube with fine red lines from tepal sutures, unscented; perianth tube narrowly funnel-shaped, 35-40 mm long, straight and cylindric below for 30-35 mm, curved outward and flared in upper 5 mm, ± twice as long as bracts; tepals with dorsal largest, inclined over stamens, ± 28 x 18 mm, upper laterals arching outward from base, ultimately spreading at right angles to tube, ± 25 x 17 mm, lower tepals united with upper laterals for ± 3 mm and together for ± 3 mm, narrowed below, downcurving distally, laterals ± 18 x 8 mm, lower median ± 22 x 6 mm. Filaments 12 mm long, exserted 6 mm from tube, white below, pink toward apices; anthers ± 6.5 mm long, dark purple; pollen cream-coloured. Style dividing between upper 1/3 and apex of anthers, branches ± 4 mm long. Capsules ellipsoid, 12-14 mm long. Seeds oblong, ± 5.5 x 3 mm, broadly and evenly winged.