Moraea contorta Goldblatt

Plants 250-300 mm high. Corm 15-18 mm diam.; tunics of coarse, dark, rigid fibres often covered with white, mealy substance. Stem erect, with short, lateral branches at upper nodes; with sheathing leaves ± as long as spathes; stem becoming loosely coiled in fruit. Foliage leaf usually solitary, linear, channelled, much longer than stem, erect below, trailing distally, 5-7 mm wide. Rhipidial spathes ± membranous, dry or sometimes green below, with prominent hyaline veins, inner 36-45 mm long, outer slightly shorter. Flowers fugaceous, dark blue, outer tepal limbs with white nectar guides at bases, limbs of both whorls half reflexed, with a strong spicy-sweet scent; outer tepals 21-26 x 10-12 mm long, claws 8-9 mm, ± 1/3 as long as limbs, inner tepals ± 22 x 7 mm. Filaments 4.5-6.0 mm long, united for ± 1/2 their length; anthers 5-7 mm long. Ovary ± cylindric, 30-38 mm long, fertile part ± 10 mm long; style branches 8-10 mm long, crests ± 10 mm long, erect. Capsules narrowly ellipsoid, 15-18 mm long. Seeds lozenge-shaped, dark brown.