Sparaxis bulbifera Ker Gawl.

Plants 150-300(-500) mm high. Corm 9-15 mm diam., tunics of fine pale fibres. Stem usually with up to three branches from aerial nodes, after flowering bearing several small cormlets at each aerial node as well as below ground. Leaves 5 to 9, narrowly sword-shaped, acute, both basal and cauline, reaching to ± base of spike, 4-11 mm wide, closely veined with prominent main vein. Spike fairly lax, flexed below base of first flower, mostly 2-to 4-flowered; bracts dry, crinkled, uniformly pale or streaked with brown, outer mostly 14-16 mm long, with 3 subequal cusps slightly longer than body of bract, loosely twisted, inner bracts similar but slightly shorter, 2-cusped. Flowers with radially symmetric perianth but unilateral stamens, white but yellow in throat and tube, sometimes with small black spot at base of each tepal, outer tepals often purple outside, usually faint sweet rose-scented; perianth tube funnel-shaped, 14-16 mm long, narrow basal part 5-7 mm long; tepals subequal, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 25-28 x ± 12 mm. Stamens unilateral but not parallel, abaxial stamen twisted to lie against adaxial tepal; filaments 7-8 mm long; anthers facing inward, 7-8 mm long, white; pollen white. Style unilateral, lying against adaxial tepal, white, dividing at or up to 2 mm beyond anthers tips, branches filiform, ± 10 mm long. Capsules ovoid to oblong, usually barrel-shaped, ± 8 x 6 mm with 9 or 10 seeds per locule, or oblong, ± 11 x 5 mm long with 11 or 12 seeds per locule. Seeds globose, ± 2 mm diam., glossy brown.

It is a temperate plant. It grows in wetlands. They do well in a Mediterranean climate. They will grow in most well-drained soils. They are resistant to frost and drought. In Argentina it grows below 200 m above sea level.

Cultivated ornamental in gardens.

Plants are best left for several years undisturbed before dividing the clumps. They can be planted from corms. Plants can be grown from seeds.