Moraea macrocarpa Goldblatt

Plants 40-80 mm high, usually stem ± underground. Corm 8-12 mm diam., deeply seated 115 mm or more; tunics of fine pale fibres. Stem sometimes initially underground or barely above ground, in fruit well above ground (not known for subsp. virginea); filiform, simple or 1 or 2 (rarely 3 or 4) shortly stalked inflorescences. Foliage leaf solitary, often inserted shortly below ground or at ground level, linear-filiform, narrowly channelled or entirely terete, 0.4-1.5 mm wide, much exceeding stem, up to 600 mm or more (subsp. virginea). Rhipidial spathes becoming dry above, tips brown, acute, inner (34-)40-50(-65) mm long, outer ± 1/3-1/2 as long incl. dry tapering tip. Flowers fugaceous, either pale to middle blue-mauve with yellow nectar guides at outer tepal limb bases edged violet or purple and claws yellow with dark spots, or white with yellow guides without dark edges and claws with yellow midline, vanilla-scented, limbs of both whorls slightly reflexed or spreading; outer tepals lanceolate, limb 12-26 x 7-15 mm, claws 8-12 mm long; inner tepals 18-32 x 5-8 mm. Filaments 5-9 mm long, united in lower half; anthers 4-9 mm long, ± white pale violet inside; pollen off white. Ovary ± cylindric, 17-22 mm long, included, style branches 6-10 mm long, crests narrowly lanceolate, 12-18 mm long, suberect. Capsules ± cylindric, 18-36 mm long, shortly beaked.