Ixia lacerata Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants 150-350 mm high. Corm subglobose, 14-20 mm diam.; tunics of firm, coarse fibres, with small cormlets at base. Stem wiry, sometimes somewhat twisted below spike, simple or with 1 to 3 short, thread-like, twisted branchlets subtended by filiform, forked or lacerate, silvery bracts and prophylls up to 5 mm long, distally spreading to reflexed. Leaves 3, lower 2 lanceolate to falcate, 5-10 mm wide, plane, sometimes slightly twisted distally, ± 1/4-1/3 as long as stem, margins slightly to moderately thickened, uppermost leaf sheathing stem in lower 1/2-2/3. Main spike (2)3-to 6-flowered, suberect, lateral spikes (1-)3-or 4-flowered; bracts translucent below, becoming rust-coloured in upper 1/3, 6-7 mm long, outer mostly with 5 main veins and 5 attenuate teeth, sometimes slightly lacerate, inner with 2 main and 2 smaller veins, with 2 to 4 attenuate teeth. Flowers ± nodding, pale blue-mauve, tepals often whitish at base, with pale yellow cup, weakly rose-scented; perianth tube 10-12(-14) mm long; tepals subequal, (10-)12-14 x 5-6 mm. Filaments ± 3 mm long, included; anthers ± 3 mm long, yellow. Style dividing opposite middle of anthers, branches ± 1 mm long.