Ixia thomasiae Goldblatt

Plants mostly 0.6-1.5 m high, with remains of old cataphylls and leaf bases persisting as a fibrous collar around stem base. Corm 15-20 mm diam., with tunics of coarse netted fibres. Stem usually with 1 to 3 short, twisted branches subtended by acute bracts and prophylls 4-10 mm long. Leaves 3, lower 2 linear, reaching upper 1/3 of stem, 3-5 mm wide, main vein thickened and narrowly winged, margins forming broad wings held at right angles to blade, upper leaf sheathing stem. Main spike half nodding, 7-to 10-flowered, branches mostly 3-to 5-flowered; bracts membranous, translucent, becoming light brown distally, 9-12 mm long, outer 3-veined above with prominent central vein, lateral veins paired in lower part and sometimes not reaching bract apex, obtuse to obscurely 3-lobed, inner 2-veined, forked apically, slightly shorter than outer. Flowers half to ± fully nodding, pale blue-mauve, white in throat, presence of scent unknown; perianth tube funnel-shaped, widening in upper 1/2, 8-10 mm long; tepals subequal, ovate-oblong, 14-20(-25) x 5.0-6.5(-8.0) mm, spreading ± at right angles to tube, indented abaxially along midline above filament insertion to form a rounded median adaxial crest. Filaments ± 6 mm long, included or exserted up to 2 mm from tube; anthers ± 6 mm long, yellow. Ovary slightly warty; style usually dividing opposite upper 1/3 of anthers, or just above anther tips, branches ± 2.0 mm long.