Lapeirousia plicata Diels

Plants small, acaulescent, forming diffuse or compact cushions, seldom > 50 mm high. Corm bell-shaped; tunics red-brown, rough-surfaced, basal rim slightly crenate. Stem entirely underground. Foliage leaves up to 3, lowermost longest, usually exceeding inflorescence, up to 300 mm long, blades linear, suberect to strongly inclined, closely ribbed, margins of sheaths undulate or often crisped, remaining leaves broader than basal. Inflorescence congested, head-like, few-to several-flowered; bracts ovate at base, outer larger than inner, with apex often produced as ribbed leaf-like tip, margins usually crisped especially in basal half. Flowers actinomorphic, pale blue, ± white or pale yellow, with blue to violet spot at base of each tepal, scented of cloves or with light, sweet odour; perianth tube 12-30 mm long, ± cylindric, straight; tepals subequal, ± lanceolate, 7-9 mm long, acute, spreading or often slightly deflexed when fully open. Stamens symmetrically arranged around style; filaments exserted 1.5-2.0 mm, arching outward later in anthesis; anthers mostly 1.8-3.0 mm long, usually blue (or ± white), initially erect, later ± horizontal. Style dividing opposite base to middle of anthers, rarely below anther bases; style branches forked for 1/3-1/2 their length or undivided (subsp. effurcata). Capsules ovoid-oblong, 8-10 mm long. Seeds 6-9 per locule, ± globose, with reticulate to rugulose surface, dark brown, 1.0-1.5 mm diam.

It is a subtropical plant.

The corm or bulb is eaten as a snack and as a vegetable.