Ixia dolichsiphon Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants 120-200 mm high. Corm 10-16 mm diam., with tunics of medium-textured netted fibres. Stem (1-)3-or 4-branched, lower branches rarely also branched; branches twisted, diverging at 90° from main axis, subtended by pale, membranous, attenuate bracts and prophylls (1-)3-8 mm long. Leaves 3, lower 2 lanceolate to falcate, (5-)7-12 mm wide, usually reaching to ± base of or sometimes shortly exceeding spike; margins and main vein slightly thickened; uppermost leaf entirely sheathing, reaching at least to middle of stem or to base of spike. Spike flexuose, 4-to 10-flowered, lateral spikes somewhat contorted, 2-to 8-flowered, horizontal below first flower, then erect; bracts membranous and transparent, outer 5-6 mm long, 3-veined, slightly 3-dentate, inner slightly shorter to ± as long as outer, 2-veined and 2-toothed. Flowers white or flushed pale lilac, tepals sometimes each with a purple basal mark, tepals and tube veined purple outside, scentless; perianth tube ± cylindric, tapering uniformly from ± 1 mm diam. at base to 2 mm diam. at apex, 15-18 mm long, internally divided into 3 compartments by decurrent filaments extending downward nearly to base; tepals obovate, spreading at right angles to tube, subequal, 9-13 x 6-7 mm. Filaments ± 2 mm long, inserted ± 1 mm below tube apex, decurrent nearly to base, mostly exserted ± 1 mm; anthers ± 3 mm long before anthesis, yellow. Style dividing between middle and upper 1/3 of anthers, branches extending between anthers, ± 2 mm long.