Plants 30-100 mm high. Corm hemispherical, 8-18 mm diam., obliquely flattened on one side and convex on the other, with wide crescent-shaped basal ridge as wide as corm, tunics woody, split into parallel fibrils along ridge. Stem short, subterranean, elongating to 40 mm after flowering. Leaf 1, basal, subterete, bifacial in lower ± third with adaxial groove open, narrowly 4-grooved distally, ± 1 mm diam., with adhering sand grains. Peduncles 1 or 2, up to 50 mm long, subterete, reddish and with adhering sand grains, arcuate and elongating slightly in fruit; outer bracts submembranous flushed purple in lower half, green and subherbaceous distally, with narrow, colourless, membranous margins, 15-18 mm long, widely striate (3 or 4 veins/mm), with adhering sand grains, inner bracts submembranous flushed purple in lower half and subherbaceous distally, with wide, brown-stippled membranous margins. Flowers golden-yellow with 3 or 5 brownish veins in throat, outer tepals brownish, yellowish or veined or feathered on reverse; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 5-7 mm long; tepals oblanceolate to elliptic, 15-30 x 5-12 mm. Filaments 5-7 mm long, pilose basally, yellow; anthers 6-8 mm long, yellow. Style dividing shortly below or beyond anther apices, branches 2 mm long, divided halfway. Capsules globose, 6-10 mm long.
More
Plants 150-300 mm long. Corm laterally flattened, almost lens-shaped, with a wide fan-shaped ridge. Stem elongating up to 40 mm after flowering. Leaf single, rarely 2, filiform, bent or suberect, 150-300 x c. 1 mm, glabrous, with adhering sand grains, grooves narrow. Inner bract purplish brown or green in upper half, with wide, usually colourless membranous margins. Flower usually single, 25-35 mm long, golden-yellow with brownish veins in the throat, outer perianth segments with 5 brown veins and feathered veining on the backs. Perianth tube 5-6 mm long; segments 15-25 x 5-12 mm. Filaments 5-7 mm; anthers 6-8 mm. Style 10-14 mm; stigmas below to above anther tips. Capsule spherical, on an arcuate peduncle.
Like R. austinii but corm conspicuously compressed and fan-like, leaf mostly solitary, sticky. Flower usually 1, yellow with brown streaks.
Home
