Lapeirousia dolomitica Dinter

Plants (50-)100-150 mm high. Corm 10-15 mm diam., broadly obconic (triangular in outline); tunics dark brown, rugose, basal rim with prominent laterally projecting spines. Stem simple or 1-or 2-branched from base, stem terete or compressed and 2-ridged to 2-winged below first flower. Leaves 1 to 3, lowermost basal and longest, straight to falcate, 100-150 mm long, usually ± as long as stem, 3.5-5.0 mm wide, strongly ribbed, smooth or minutely papillate along rib margins, remaining leaves much smaller, resembling floral bracts. Inflorescences spikes of (5-)8 to 15 flowers, initially 2-ranked, becoming spiral; outer bract 12-20 mm long, pale to dark green, margins hyaline or red, semitransparent over veins, inflated, ± round in section, abaxial surface weakly keeled, keels usually restricted to distal half, inner bract 1/3-1/2 as long as outer, with two broad green keels. Flowers zygomorphic, pale blue to violet or lilac, lower 3 tepals partly or entirely yellow near base and darker blue or purple in median upper half, sometimes with short median ridges near base usually curving downward, sometimes sweetly scented; perianth tube slender, ascending, arching outward near apex, 25-35(-40) mm long (in severely stressed plants occasionally less than 25 mm); tepals unequal, lanceolate and acute, dorsal longest and erect, (12-)15-17 x 5-7 mm, narrowed below, upper laterals slightly shorter, spreading or reflexed, lower 3 tepals united for 2-3 mm, slightly narrowed toward base, held closely together, (10-)12-14 mm long. Stamens unilateral, ± erect; filaments ± 10 mm long, exserted 2-4 mm, arching outward; anthers 4.0-4.8 mm long, parallel, purple or cream-coloured; pollen lilac or cream-coloured. Style arching adaxial to stamens, usually dividing opposite middle 1/3 of anthers (rarely below anther bases in northern populations), dark violet; style branches 3-4 mm long, recurved, divided for 1/2 their length. Capsules ovoid-oblong, weakly trigonous, 12-14 mm long, without locular ridges, usually warty or papillose. Seeds globose, chalazal end somewhat flattened, ± 1.8 mm diam., glossy dark brown.