Tritonia gladiolaris (Lam.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Plants (150-)200-500(-800) mm high. Corm subglobose to depressed-globose, 10-20 mm diam.; tunics of fine-textured fibres, sometimes extended into a fibrous or papery collar. Stem erect or flexed outward above upper leaf and inclined, simple or with 1(2) suberect branches from upper 1/2. Leaves 5 to 8, suberect, firm-textured, narrowly lanceolate or rarely falcate, (40-)150-300(-500) x (5-)7-10(-18) mm, acute or acuminate, with raised main vein and strong submarginal vein ± 1 mm from margin, usually not reaching base of spike, cauline leaves ± overlapping in lower 1/2 of stem, uppermost dry and clasping, bract-like. Spike suberect or inclined, nearly 2-ranked, moderately dense or lax, 4-to 12(-15)-flowered; bracts dry, papery, brown or pale-translucent below, densely speckled and flecked with dark brown in upper 1/2, outer 7-10(-12) mm long, ± 3-to 5-toothed with middle tooth reduced or irregularly toothed, inner slightly shorter, bifid. Flowers slightly zygomorphic, cream-coloured to pale yellow, straw or flushed with pale apricot near tips or on reverse, usually with dark veins, unscented; perianth tube obliquely funnel-shaped, 10-15 mm long with basal 2-4 mm narrow, curved outward, widening up to 8-10 mm diam.; tepals subequal in length, oblong to obovate, (15-)18-20(-23) mm long, obtuse, spreading, dorsal slightly wider, 8-10(-14) mm wide, others 5-8(-10) mm wide, lower median tepal sometimes with low thickened basal ridge. Filaments unilateral, arcuate, 7-12 mm long, included; anthers 5-9 mm long, curved, apiculate, pink or yellow. Style dividing near apex of anthers or beyond, branches 3-5 mm long. Capsules subglobose or obovoid, ± 8 mm long.

Can be grown by seedlings.