Thereianthus juncifolius (Baker) G.J.Lewis

Slender plants 120-200(-300) mm high. Corm 5-10 mm diam.; tunics of fine-textured, netted fibres, accumulating with age. Stem flexed outward above sheath of second leaf and then erect, rarely with short branch from axil of uppermost scale-leaf. Leaves (3)4, lowermost mostly reaching to spike or exceeding it, filiform-terete, 150-500 x 0.5-1.5 mm, thick-textured, striate with slightly raised veins when dry, uppermost 1 or 2 leaves scale-like and entirely sheathing, inserted ± midway between foliage leaves and spike. Spike erect, elongate, laxly (2)3-to 10-flowered, lower internodes 3-5(-7) x longer than bracts but progressively shorter and uppermost internodes ± as long as bracts; bracts not overlapping, outer 3-5 mm long, acute to truncate, soft-textured and green with papery brown tips, inner slightly longer than outer and similar in texture, acute or truncate. Flowers suberect, purple to lilac with white throat; perianth actinomorphic, salver-shaped; tube straight, 11-18 mm long, widening gradually and evenly from base, 1.0-1.5 mm diam. at mouth; tepals spreading and slightly cupped, ovate or obovate, subequal, 10-15 x 3.5-6.0 mm. Stamens central; filaments erect, 4-6 mm long, exserted 3-4 mm from tube; anthers 3-4 mm long, lilac or pale yellow; pollen lilac or cream-coloured. Style central, dividing between base and middle of anthers, branches ± 3 mm long, divided for > 1/2 their length, spreading or recurved. Capsules flask-shaped, 9-15 mm long. Seeds fusiform, 6-7 mm long, with chalazal thread ± 13 mm long, thus ± twice as long as seed body, sharply bent back ± midway and hooked or crook-like, sometimes twisting around adjacent seeds, reddish brown, longitudinally rugulose.