Moraea australis (Goldblatt) Goldblatt

Plants 60-250 mm high. Corm ± 1.5 mm diam.; tunics of soft, pale fibres. Stem usually branched, elongate or barely produced above ground, then with branches clustered near base; upper nodes with sheathing leaves ± as long as spathes. Foliage leaf solitary, channelled, erect to trailing, exceeding stem. Rhipidial spathes ± dry, membranous with prominent veins, inner 35-60 mm long, outer slightly shorter. Flowers fugaceous, pale blue to blue-lilac, outer tepal limbs with white nectar guides edged orange distally, spreading horizontally to slightly reflexed; outer tepals lanceolate, 23-30 x 8-10 mm, claws ± 10 mm, inner tepals 18-22 x 4-5 mm, suberect, ultimately half reflexed. Filaments 5-6 mm long, united in lower 1 mm; anthers ± 5 mm long. Ovary included; style branches 8-9 mm long, crests 8-12 mm long. Capsules and seeds not known.