Ixia longituba N.E.Br.

Plants (180-)250-450 mm high. Corm depressed-globose; tunics of pale, fine fibres. Stem simple or more often 1-or 2-, rarely 3-branched, branches subtended by pale, membranous, attenuate bracts and prophylls 3-5 mm long. Leaves mostly 4 to 8, ± sword-shaped to lanceolate, usually reaching to ± base of spike, 5-15 mm wide, firm-textured; margins moderately to heavily thickened, sometimes crisped. Spike densely 7-to 12-flowered, branches, when present, with fewer flowers; bracts pale and ± translucent, often flushed pink distally, outer with a single prominent vein and 1-or obscurely 3-toothed, inner forked at tips, 2-toothed, ± as long or slightly longer than outer. Flowers salver-shaped, ± suberect to almost horizontal, pale to deep pink (except for rare white sports), darker pink at tepal bases, pale green to yellow in mouth of tube, unscented; perianth tube slender, widening slightly near mouth, (10-)12-33(-35) mm long, 3-4 mm wide at mouth; tepals subequal, spreading horizontally, 16-22 x 7-11 mm, inner narrower than outer. Filaments 5-10 mm long, inserted 2-3 mm below mouth of perianth tube, thus exserted 3-7 mm; anthers 4-6 mm long, yellow. Style mostly dividing opposite top of filaments or lower to middle third of anthers, rarely shortly beyond anther tips, branches 3-5 mm long.