Ixia namaquana L.Bolus

Plants mostly 300-500 mm high. Corm 12-15 mm diam.; tunics of medium-textured to coarse fibres. Stem with several short, filiform, twisted lateral branchlets subtended by short bracts and prophylls ± 2 mm long. Leaves 3, lower 2 sword-shaped to falcate, mostly 8-18 mm wide, margins thickened and hyaline, sometimes minutely crisped, usually ± 1/3 as long as stem but sometimes shorter, uppermost leaf sheathing stem. Main spike 2-or 3-flowered, lateral spikes 1-or 2-flowered; bracts translucent, outer with 3 dark veins, ± 10 mm long, with 3 short, subequal teeth, inner with 2 dark veins, forked at apex. Flowers ± nodding, whitish to light mauve, lilac, pale blue or pink with yellow cup edged with a band of short vertical lines, often flushed lilac to mauve outside, violet-scented or unscented; perianth tube 12-16(-18) mm long, narrowly funnel-shaped; tepals subequal, ovate, inner (12-)14-17 x 5-7 mm, outer 6-8 mm, proximal 4-6 mm forming part of floral cup, spreading at right angles to tube in distal 10-12 mm. Filaments 4-5 mm long, included; anthers 3.5-4.5 mm long, half exserted from tube but included in floral cup. Style mostly dividing opposite upper 1/3 of anthers, branches ± 1 mm long, extending between anthers (in type, dividing at anther tips with branches arching above anthers and 1.5 mm long).