Description:
Plants 80–160 mm high. Corm ovoid, symmetric, truncate below, 6–9 mm diam.; tunics blackish, imbricate, notched below into regular sections. Stem erect, flexed above sheath of upper leaf and at base of spike, simple or 1-branched. Leaves 3, lower 2 basal, uppermost inserted on lower part of stem, slightly longer or shorter than stem, linear, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, margins and main vein slightly thickened, thus narrowly 2-grooved on each surface, uppermost leaf with large, inflated, multi-ribbed sheath. Spike inclined, flexuose, 2–4(–6)-flowered; bracts green, 8–13(–16) mm long, inner shorter than outer. Flowers zygomorphic with stamens unilateral and declinate, tepals widely cupped, deep blue with glossy red centre edged with narrow white band, each tepal with a dark pit in midline; perianth tube funnel-shaped, usually exceeding bracts, 6–8 mm long; tepals obovate, 15–22 × 12–15 mm. Filaments unilateral, declinate, equal, ± 10 mm long, held above lowermost tepal, curving upward distally; anthers erect, ± parallel, 5–6 mm long, dark purple; pollen red-brown. Style arching beneath stamens, ± 2 mm long, branches 4 mm long. Flowering time: September to early October.
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