Corm ovoid, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, with firm black tunics, often deeply seated and with a distinct neck up to 20 cm long. Stem above ground (3-)6-20 cm high. Leaves 3, erect to spreading or recurved, variable in size, ovate-lanceolate, often rather broad, (2-)3-15(-20) cm long, 0.5-3.5 cm wide above the base, acute-acuminate or almost cuspidate; uppermost leaf shorter, sometimes only 1-2 cm long; leaf-margins ciliolate or smooth. Spike (3-)5-30-flowered, moderately lax to fairly dense, (1.5-)3-12 cm long, (1-)1.5-3 cm broad. Perianth 1.5-2.5 cm in diam., white or cream-coloured, sometimes with a greenish tinge. Tube 3-6(-8) mm long, 2-5 mm wide, usually widening upwards. Segments spreading, lanceolate-narrowly elliptic-oblong, 6-12 mm long, 1.2-4 mm wide, faintly or sometimes distinctly 3-8-veined, sometimes speckled with small elongate dots, with a distinct nectary spot about or below the middle, sometimes with dark-coloured margins, apically obtuse-acute; nectary spot ovate-oblong, cordate at base or reniform, 1.5-2 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, dull dark purple-dull pink-maroon-chocolate or reddish brown. Filaments 3-5 mm long, subulate, light-coloured, inserted below a shallow or sometimes distinct and elongated nectary groove at the base of the free perianth segment. Anthers oblong, (0.8-)1-1.4 mm long, 0.7-1 mm wide, yellow or pale brownish. Ovary oblong, 3-6 mm long excl. styles; free styles flattened-subulate, slender, 3.5-6.5 mm long, suberect. Capsule oblong or elliptic-oblong, 3-7 mm long (excl. styles), 2.5-5 mm broad, subtriquetrous, with suberect or somewhat curved persistent styles. Seeds subglobose, 1-1.3 mm in diam., dark brown-black, with a minutely reticulate surface.
More
Geophyte, 30-200 mm high, often clumped. Corms ovoid, basal roots many, tunics dark, subterranean neck long. Stem erect, short. Leaves 3, alternate, cauline leaves basally stem-sheathing; blade ovate, attenuate from dilated base, glaucous, apex acuminate, margins flat, sometimes ciliolate. Inflorescence an ebracteate, many-flowered, scorpioid cyme. Perianth persistent, segments 6; tube cup-shaped, spurred basally; lobes linear-lanceolate, acute, greenish or cream-coloured with central spot. Nectaries purple, groove-like, margins elevated. Stamens: filaments subulate; anthers dorsifixed, versatile. Ovary 3-carpellate, 3-locular and ± 3-lobed, sessile; ovules several to many; styles 3, free, flattened subulate. Flowering time Aug.-Oct. Fruit an ellipsoid to oblong capsule. Seeds globose, ± 1 mm in diam., black or brown.
Cormous geophyte, 50-200 mm tall. Leaves 3, ovate to lanceolate. Flowers sessile, greenish to cream with maroon median spot and sometimes margins, foul-scented, tepals 6-12 mm long, united below in a tube 3-6(-8) mm long; filaments 3-5 mm long; styles free, subulate.
Cormous geophyte, 5-20 cm. Leaves ovate. Flowers cream-coloured, tepals with conspicuous median dark mark, strongly bitter-scented, tube shorter than tepals, 3-6(-8) mm long.
Home
