Hesperantha brevifolia Goldblatt

Plants (100-)150-400 mm high. Corm ± obconic with flat, oblique base, up to 6 mm diam.; tunics of ± woody, longitudinally ridged, overlapping layers, margins slightly flared and with edges frayed. Stem unbranched, sheathed by leaf bases and at base by a pale, membranous cataphyll. Leaves usually 4 or 5, lower 2 ± basal, blades plane, straight, ± erect, 20-30 mm long, upper leaves cauline, shorter, the uppermost entirely sheathing. Spike mostly 2-to 5-flowered, ± straight; bracts green, conspicuously veined, 10-14 mm long, outer with margins united around axis near base. Flowers upright to half nodding, ± salver-shaped, white with outer tepals flushed red outside; perianth tube 6-8 mm long, straight; tepals subequal, obovate, 8-13 x ± 4 mm, spreading to slightly reflexed. Filaments diverging, 3-5 mm long; anthers spreading, 5-6 mm long, white. Style branches 4-5 mm long, laxly spreading. Capsules narrowly ovoid, 6-8 mm long. Seeds light brown, angular-prismatic.