Moraea amabilis Diels

Plants 150-250 mm high, growing in clonal colonies. Corm mostly 7-12 mm diam., with tunics of pale, medium to fairly coarse fibres (rarely soft fine fibres), often replaced annually by two daughter corms. Stem simple or 1(2)-branched, glabrous or velvety, sometimes with cormlets in below-ground axils, sheathing leaves glabrous or velvety on outer surface, with dry, attenuate apices. Foliage leaf solitary, linear, channelled, often widely so, 2-5 mm wide, abaxial surface often velvety-pilose (or glabrous). Rhipidial spathes with dry and attenuate apices, smooth or velvety, inner mostly 45-55 mm long, outer ± 1/2-2/3 as long. Flowers long-lived, mostly purple or violet to dark blue (rarely pink, dull yellow or buff-brown), outer tepal limbs with white, velvety nectar guides at bases speckled with purple or dark blue, often with larger dark mark at base, often slightly scented of honey or vanilla; outer tepals 20-31 x 10-14 mm, broadly lanceolate, claws pale mauve often with darker central line and spotted purple-black, 10-12 mm long, velvety, limbs (9-)11-18 mm long, apex obtuse-apiculate, inner tepals erect, hair-like, acute, 1.5-2.5 mm long. Filaments ± free, 3.5-6.0 mm long; anthers 4.5-7.0(-8.0) mm long; pollen red or white, rarely pale blue. Ovary narrowly ellipsoid, 6.0-9.5 mm long, usually flushed red, exserted; style branches ± 10 mm long; crests linear, often arching inward, 6-9 mm long. Capsules narrowly ellipsoid, 11-16 mm long, often with thickened apical rim. Seeds angular, 1.7-2.0 mm long, angles with spongy edges and prominent spongy micropylar crest.