Moraea tanquana Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants up to 500 mm high. Corm subglobose, ± 20 mm diam.; tunics of coarse, dark brown to blackish fibres. Stem up to 3-branched from upper nodes, sheathing leaves green, attenuate. Foliage leaves 3, lowermost basal, linear and channelled, 2-5 mm wide, ± 3/4 as long as stem, upper 2 leaves cauline, ± as long as basal. Rhipidial spathes green but dry and membranous apically with brownish cusps; inner ± 30 mm long, outer ± half as long. Flowers fugaceous, pale blue or mauve with a yellow cup, and small, rounded, yellow nectar guides at bases of all tepal limbs, tepal claws minutely pubescent at base, 8-9 mm long, ascending and forming wide cup, limbs spreading horizontally; outer tepals obovate, ± 25 mm long, limb 15-16 x 12 mm, inner tepals slightly shorter, ± 22 mm long. Filaments ± 10 mm long, reaching to mouth of floral cup or exserted ± 1 mm, united, column cylindric, minutely pubescent at base; anthers erect, contiguous, 4-5 mm long at anthesis (shrinking to 3 mm after dehiscence), yellow, concealing style branches. Ovary ovoid, 4-5 mm long, exserted from spathes; style branches ± 1 mm long, concealed by anthers; stigma lobes bifid, crests lacking. Capsules and seeds unknown.