Gladiolus woodii Baker

Plants 200-450(-900) mm high, with cataphylls sparsely to densely villous. Corm globose, 12-15 mm diam.; tunics of fine to moderately coarse-textured fibres, rarely accumulating. Stem lightly flexed outward above sheath of upper leaf, then inclined, unbranched. Leaves 2 or 3(4), lowermost basal and sheathing lower 1/2 of stem, blade lacking or linear to sword-shaped, 50(100) mm long, sparsely pilose, occasionally overlapping next leaf, cauline leaves sheathing, upper often bract-like, 20-28 mm long, glabrous; non-flowering plants with solitary, narrowly lanceolate leaf, 70-100 mm long at flowering but much longer later in season, densely pilose, margins and main and sometimes a second vein pair thickened and raised. Spike drooping in bud but straight and lightly flexed below base at anthesis, secund, (4)6-to 11-flowered; bracts pale grey-green to dark green or dorsal surface flushed brown to dull purplish, sometimes ± dry above at flowering, outer 12-16 mm long, inner slightly longer to shorter. Flowers either pale yellow, pale lilac or oyster-coloured, lower lateral tepals usually with longitudinal dark purple to brown streak along midline, rarely without markings, or maroon to reddish brown and lower laterals partly to entirely yellow with maroon median line, sometimes marked with purple spots at tepal sinuses, lower median tepal without markings, with a faint metallic odour (maroon flowers), a faint daffodil-like odour (oyster-coloured or lilac flowers), or evidently odourless (yellow flowers); perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, (4-)7-9(-12) mm long; tepals narrowly to broadly ovate, usually conspicuously apiculate, dorsal largest, inclined over stamens, 17-27 x 12-19 mm, margins sometimes lightly crisped, upper laterals nearly straight or spreading distally, margins undulate to strongly crisped, lower 3 tepals united with upper laterals for ± 2 mm and together for 2-3 mm, narrowed below into claws 2.5-4.0 mm long, becoming channelled toward base, lower laterals abruptly expanded into limbs 10-12 x 4-7 mm, auriculate at base, lower median limb 12-15 x 6-9 mm, often less strongly clawed, margins of lower tepal limbs lightly undulate to lightly crisped. Filaments 9-10(-13) mm long, exserted 5.5-8.0 mm from tube; anthers 6-9 mm long, blackish; pollen cream-coloured to pale yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing between middle and apex of anthers, branches 3.5-5.0 mm long. Capsules ± globose, broadly 3-lobed above and retuse, 9-12 mm long. Seeds ovate to oblong, 6-7 x 4 mm, evenly winged.