Sparaxis caryophyllacea Goldblatt

Plants 120-300 mm high. Corm 13-18 mm diam.; tunics of hard, coarse, vertical fibres, often thickened below into claw-like ribs. Stem often with 1 or 2 branches produced in axils of cauline leaves. Leaves 5 to 7, mostly basal, upper 1 or 2 cauline, inserted in mid-part of stem, broadly oblanceolate, reaching ± middle of stem, 10-15 mm wide, usually obtuse, apiculate, sometimes obliquely so, lower leaves usually speckled with red to purple (fading on drying), often inclined (leaves of juvenile plants usually ± prostrate). Spike straight or barely flexuose, 2-to 4-flowered, ± secund, lateral spikes when present with fewer flowers; bracts pale below with whitish veins, becoming light brown above, outer 12-14 mm long, lacerate, with prominent central cusp, inner 2-cusped. Flowers zygomorphic, pale yellow with dorsal tepal shading to violet in distal half, upper later tepals cream-coloured above base, lower tepals deep yellow, fading to cream-coloured at tips, throat yellow with prominent dark streaks, sweetly carnation-scented; perianth tube funnel-shaped, curving outward distally, ± 20 mm long; tepals unequal, dorsal erect to slightly hooded, 24-28 x 12-14 mm, upper laterals ± 16 x 8-9 mm, directed forward, lower tepals united for 3 mm, ± horizontal proximally, ± 12 x 6-7 mm, flexed downward and channelled distally. Stamens unilateral and arcuate; filaments ± 12 mm long, whitish; anthers ± 4.5 mm long, white, only partially exserted; pollen ± white. Ovary ± 3.5 mm long, ovoid-trigonous; style arched over filaments, dividing shortly below anther apices, branches ± 6 mm long, recurved distally between anthers, conduplicate below, becoming narrowly channelled toward upper 1/3. Capsule broadly ovoid, 10-11 x 6-7 mm. Seeds globose, glossy brown, 1.8-2.2 mm diam., usually 10 per locule.