Ixia scillaris L.

Plants mostly 150-500 mm high, stem often with 1-2, rarely up to 6 branches, sheathed basally by ± dry, papery cataphylls, often green distally, later turning brown. Corm 10-15 mm diam., tunics of medium-textured to coarse fibres; cormlets at base conspicuous in subsp. toximontana. Leaves 3-7, mostly in basal fan, upper 1 or 2 partly sheathing the stem, 1/3 to 1/2 as long as stem, blade lanceolate or falcate, (3-)6-20 mm wide, main and sometimes additional veins raised but not thickened, margins markedly thickened in subsp. toximontana. Spike erect, fairly lax, flexuose to ± straight, secund in 2 ranks, mostly 10-20-flowered; bracts membranous, translucent, sometimes turning purple distally, 3-5 mm long, outer prominently 3-veined and 3-toothed, inner 2-veined and 2-toothed. Flowers ± nodding with tepals held vertically with lowermost slightly reflexed, zygomorphic with stamens unilateral, bright to pale pink, occasionally white, yellow or white edged in darker pink at tepal bases, lightly rose-scented or unscented; perianth tube filiform, 2.5-4.0 mm long, tightly clasping style; tepals ovate-elliptic, (8-)10-15 x 5-9 mm, inner 3 slightly larger than outer, lowermost tepal held apart and usually somewhat reflexed. Stamens unilateral; filaments inserted at mouth of tube, filiform, 1.6-3.5 mm long, arching upward near tips, white to pale yellow; anthers oblong-linear, 2.3-4.0 mm long, horizontal or slightly pendent, thecae recurved and acute at base, dehiscing incompletely from base by narrow slits, yellow. Style dividing ± opposite base of filaments, branches ± 1.5 mm long, pale yellow, falcate, tubular, stigmatic apically. Capsules ± obovoid-oblong, 4-5 mm long. Flowering time: mainly mid-Aug.-mid-Oct., occasionally later.