Lapeirousia exilis Goldblatt

Plants small, usually 30-50 mm high. Corm ± 8 mm diam., light brown, bell-shaped, ridged at base, margin slightly lobed (not serrated). Stem subterranean or produced shortly above ground, rarely taller, usually unbranched. Leaves usually 2, basal longest, falcate or ± trailing, 80-160 x 1-2 mm, ribbed, second leaf much shorter, often only slightly longer than floral bracts, 2-3 mm wide, channelled in lower half. Inflorescence a congested spike, sometimes ± a basal rosette, 6-to 13-flowered, 2-ranked in bud, becoming spiral as flowers open; outer bract 15-25 mm long, lowermost longest, with unifacial apices, upper leaves channelled, apices rounded without unifacial tips, not keeled, translucent over veins, margins pale, membranous; inner bract ± 1/3 as long as outer, transparent with two green keels. Flowers zygomorphic, white to pale blue with proximal 1-2 mm fading to ± white, lower 3 tepals with a dark blue median streak in lower midline (fading in dried material), strongly and sweetly scented; perianth tube slender, erect, curved and widening at apex, 20-25 mm long; tepals subequal, ± 8 mm long, spreading, dorsal suberect at anthesis, later spreading, lower 3 tepals slightly smaller broadly to narrowly ovate, obtuse, narrowed at base and ± clawed. Stamens unilateral, ± erect; filaments ± 4 mm long, inserted close to top of tube, ± fully exserted; anthers ± 3 mm long, pale blue; pollen ± white. Style arching adaxial to stamens, dividing opposite anther bases; style branches forked for 1/2 their length and recurved. Capsules broadly ovoid, trigonous, 8-11 x ± 6.5 mm. Seeds globose, smooth, flattened at chalazal end, ± 1.3 mm diam., light brown.