Moraea papilionacea Ker Gawl.

Plants 60-160 mm high. Corm 8-13 mm diam.; tunics of flat, brown, woody sections separated by cross fibres, ultimately decaying into fibrous mass. Stem roughly hairy to ± smooth, usually (1)2 internodes long above insertion of basal foliage leaf or leaves, several-branched from base or from upper node (rarely unbranched), basal internode elongating in fruit. Foliage leaves 2 to 4, linear to falcate but spreading distally, sometimes loosely twisted, lowermost ± basal or inserted at first above ground node, channelled below, ± as long or longer than stem, finely to roughly hairy on veins, rarely smooth, occasionally veins prominently thickened, intervein areas ± smooth or papillate, margins undulate, long-ciliate. Rhipidial spathes often with dry brown apices or entirely green, acute, usually hairy on veins and margins, inner 24-30 (subsp. Glabrescens) or (35-)40-60 (subsp. Papilionacea) mm long, outer usually slightly shorter than inner, rarely ± 1/2 as long, sometimes not sheathing distally. Flowers fugaceous, yellow or salmon-pink, occasionally yellow with salmon-pink inner tepals and style branches, outer tepal limbs with yellow nectar guides at bases edged green or red, ± spreading, sweetly scented; outer tepals 20-30 x 8-9 mm, claws suberect, inner tepals lanceolate, 19-23 x 10 mm. Filaments 3-6 mm long, united in lower 1/3-1/2; anthers 3-5 mm long, dark purple; pollen red or yellow. Ovary narrowly obovoid, smooth or finely velvety, 3-6 mm long, exserted; style branches 5-8 mm long, crests lanceolate, 6-7 (subsp. Glabrescens) or 10-15 (subsp. Papilionacea) mm long. Capsules broadly elliptic-oblong, 5-9 x ± 5 mm long. Seeds angular, reticulate.